YORK, Pa. – The Shenandoah University baseball team hit the road for a nonconference matchup against York College (Pa.) on Tuesday afternoon. The Hornets (12-6, 4-1) surrendered three runs in the seventh inning, falling behind 5-3, before the Spartans added an insurance run in the eighth to hand Shenandoah a 6-3 defeat.
Nick Bell got the start on the mound, going 5.2 innings while allowing five hits and two unearned runs. He recorded three strikeouts and issued two walks. Matthew Atchley led the Hornets offensively with two hits, an RBI, and a walk. Jaime Padilla, Brody Pickette, Connor Houser, Haden Madagan, Carl Keenan, and Luke Keister also contributed hits, with Padilla driving in the only other run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the top of the first, the Hornets were retired in order before Bell took the mound. With two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Bell allowed back-to-back singles but managed to induce a groundout to escape unscathed.
Both teams were retired in order in the second inning.
The Hornets recorded their first hit of the game with two outs in the third when Keister singled to left-center and promptly stole second. However, he was left stranded. Bell responded with a clean inning, retiring the Spartans in order to keep the game scoreless.
In the fourth, Pickette singled for Shenandoah's second hit, but he was also stranded. York struck first in the bottom of the fourth after a single and a walk set the table. A Hornets error led to the first run, and a fielder's choice plated another as Shenandoah was unable to turn the double play. Bell limited the damage to two runs.
Shenandoah answered in the fifth. Madagan led off with a single up the middle, and after Keenan flied out deep to center, Atchley doubled off the right-field fence to score Madagan from first. Keister laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached on a throwing error, allowing Atchley to score and tie the game. Keister then stole third and came home on a sacrifice fly from Padilla, giving the Hornets a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Bell hit the lead off batter but retired the next three, including a line out double play.
The Hornets threatened again in the sixth as Houser singled with one out, and Keenan added a two-out hit. Atchley walked to load the bases, but the Spartans escaped the jam unscathed.
Bell started the bottom of the sixth and recorded one out before allowing a walk and a single. Braden Landis entered in relief and needed just one pitch to induce a line out to Keenan, ending the inning.
Padilla led off the seventh with a single, but York retired the next three batters.
Landis returned for the bottom of the seventh and surrendered a lead off single before the Spartans advanced the runner with a sacrifice bunt. The Hornets turned to Jake Holbert, who struck out the first batter he faced. However, York tied the game with a double off the wall. After an intentional walk, Dominic D'Ottavio entered in relief. He induced a fly ball, but the ball was lost in the sun, allowing two more runs to score. D'Ottavio prevented further damage, but the Hornets trailed 5-3.
In the eighth, Shenandoah was retired in order.
Ryan Seifert took the mound for the Hornets in the bottom of the eighth and struck out the first batter. He then allowed a one-out triple, and with the infield playing up, York hit a grounder to Keenan for the second out. However, the Spartans tacked on an insurance run with an RBI single through the right side. Seifert issued a walk but escaped further trouble.
Atchley led off the ninth with a single that bounced over the first baseman's head. Brody Bower entered as a pinch hitter and fouled out to the catcher. Padilla flied out to right field, leaving the Hornets down to their final out. Cole Ambrosius also flied out to right, sealing the 6-3 loss and snapping Shenandoah's three-game winning streak.
UP NEXT
The Hornets return home tomorrow as they resume conference play, hosting EMU in Winchester. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
#GoSUHornets
