April 23, 2009

YORK, PA - The York College baseball squad made their 2009 senior day a successful one as the Spartans posted an 11-6 win over Johns Hopkins University in a non-conference contest at Jaquet Field on Thursday. The Spartans, winners of two straight, improve to 26-9 overall while the Blue Jays fall to 18-13 for the campaign.

Prior to the game, the Spartans honored their four seniors as Ryan Poff (York, Pa./Spring Grove), Matt Austin (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock), Jake Hughes (Schwenksville, Pa./Souderton), and Scott Livengood (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) were making their next to last appearance at Jaquet Field. The Spartans have won 98 games over the last four years with seven games remaining in the 2009 regular season.

The Blue Jays got to Spartan starter Jason Christenberry (Yoe, Pa./Dallastown) early as he struggled with his control. He walked the first two Blue Jays he faced before getting a ground ball out from Hopkins' top hitter Todd Emr, putting runners at second and third.  First baseman Ryan Biner plated those two runners with a ringing double to right center, giving the Jays an early 2-0 lead. Biner came around to score on a Brian Youchak single to left that was bobbled, allowing Biner to score, giving the Blue Jays a 3-0 advantage.

The Spartans wasted little time in responding as they got to Hopkins' starter Andrew Pevsner early. After a ground out to begin the Spartans' half of the inning, York got a single from Kyle Cook (Pylesville, Md./North Harford), a hit batter in Mike Connolly (Selden, N.Y./Newfield) followed by a Poff single to left to load the bases. That's when Pevsner lost touch with the strike zone as he walked the next three Spartan hitters, tying the game at three. Matt Monti (Easton, Pa./Easton) drove in the fourth run with an RBI ground out off reliever Blake Platt.

The Spartans continued their offensive assault in the second as they batted around for the second time, plating three runs for the 7-3 lead. Poff and Rob Andrews (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) each had an RBI single in the frame while the third run came in to score on a Blue Jay error.
York extended the lead to 10-3 in the fourth as CT Stanley (Timonium, Md./Calvert Hall College) and Monti each had RBI doubles while Mark Miloski (Calverton, N.Y./Riverhead) plated the third run with a two-out RBI single to score Monti.

The two squads traded runs in the sixth as Zach Small launched a line drive homer to right center field for Hopkins while Worthman notched an RBI single to score Rob Klinck (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) with the Spartans' 11th run.

The Blue Jays closed out the scoring with two runs in the top of the ninth to provide for the final 11-6 score.

Poff led the Spartans as he is closing in on the career high mark. Poff was 3-for-4 with three runsscored and an RBI. He is now at 250 career hits, one away from tying former Spartan great Matt Day for first on the all-time list. He did break Travis Gaidos' career mark for total bases as he now owns the record at 382 and counting.

Worthman was the other Spartan with multiple hits as he was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Andrews was 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored while Stanley and Monti were each 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.

Dan Merzel, Youchak, and Small each had a pair of hits for Hopkins. Biner drove in a pair of runs and scored another for the Blue Jays.

The Spartans went pitcher by committee for the second straight day as Christenberry picked up the win to improve to 7-1. He allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits with three walks in his two-inning stint. Five other Spatans saw action on the mound as Chris Frankenfield (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon), KC Beshore (New Cumberland, Pa./Red Land), and Hughes each tossed shutout ball in their time on the hill.

Pevsner absorbed the loss as he allowed four runs in just a third of an inning. He falls to 0-1 with the loss. Platt was tagged for six runs, four earned, on seven hits with a strikeout and walk in his 3.2 innings of action. The Blue Jay pitching staff combined to walk eight Spartans in the game.

The Spartans now take to the road this weekend for a big trip south. York faces NC Wesleyan on Saturday at 2:00 pm followed by a doubleheader at Christopher Newport on Sunday.

GAME BOX

Photo: The four Spartan seniors prior to the game (L to R) Ryan Poff, Jake Hughes, Matt Austin and Scott Livengood