Box Score
by Zach Specht, GoMessiah.com reporter
York, PA - Drew Frankenfield hit a two-out, ninth inning single up the middle to score Justin Cohen and send York College to a 6-5 win over Messiah College. The Spartans' victory came after Messiah fought back from a 5-0 hold to knot the game at 5-5 in the seventh inning.
York started the contest strong as the Spartans registered a run in the first courtesy of a Dustin Worthman RBI single.
The Spartans built upon their early lead with an explosive fourth inning. After loading the bases to start the inning, Frankenfield scored a run after being hit by a pitch. Messiah responded with a pitching change and sent
Mitch McClure to the mound in relief for
Peter Fisher.
After connecting on a sacrifice fly, York capitalized on a throwing error that allowed two more Spartans' runs to cross the plate at hold a 5-0 lead.
Jon Heisey would lay the foundation for the Falcons' comeback as he established Messiah's offense with a double. Courtesy of a Spartan error, Heisey crossed home plate and
Joseph Saufley would also score later in the inning to trim the Spartan lead to 5-2.
Jeremiah Eaton would add the lone run of the sixth inning as he went yard with a solo-homerun shot down the right field line.
The Falcons would keep the momentum going with a strong seventh inning. Down in the count 1-2,
Tyler Spence would produce an RBI single.
Zach Brubaker laid down a bunt and instead of throwing Brubaker out at first, Patrick Pittman attempted to throw out
David Sletta who was running to third. Pittman committed an error on the throw, which allowed Sletta to reach home on an unearned run and tie the game at five.
Messiah would threaten again in the top of the eighth inning as the Falcons had two runners on with two outs. Brubaker connected on a low liner to center where Andrew Hershey made a diving catch to end the inning with the score still tied.
York would counter with base runners in the home half of the eighth. Frankenfield opened with a deep leadoff double followed by a walk. With two runners on, the Falcons would register three critical outs to keep the contest knotted at five.
Colbe Herr began the ninth inning with a booming double to right field. Derek Pitzer attempted to bunt Herr over to third but a poor bunt resulted in Herr being thrown out at third. Justin Cohen followed up with a single of his own to put runners at first and second, then a strikeout would bring Frankenfield to the plate.
Down in the count 0-2, a
Paul Broomell pitch barely missed the strike zone to move the count to 1-2. Frankenfield took the ensuing pitch and turned it into a walk-off RBI single for the Spartans. The single was just out of the reach of Brubaker but was enough to give York a 6-5 and allow the Spartans to sweep the season series from the Falcons.
McClure pitched five impressive innings in relief, allowing just five hits and zero runs to enable his team to fight back. Broomell took the hard-luck loss after allowing three hits in the ninth inning.
The loss for Messiah moves them to 6-15 on the season, including 3-5 in the Commonwealth Conference. They will travel to Lebanon Valley College for a single game on Apr. 5, and then the Falcons will host the Dutchmen in a conference double-header on Apr. 6.
