March 24, 2005

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD -- Junior pitcher Brad McCullough scattered five hits over seven innings and the York baseball team pounded out 14 hits against five Johns Hopkins pitchers as the Spartans knocked off the host Blue Jays, 8-4 Thursday afternoon. The win improves York's record to 12-4, while the Blue Jays had their eight-game winning streak snapped and fall to 8-2.

After grabbing a 1-0 lead in the top of the third the Spartans gave McCullough all the support he would need with a four-run fourth. Justin Heller and Mike Welch both laced RBI singles and Ashley Swope drilled a run-scoring double to highlight the inning for the Spartans, who collected four hits in the inning, but benefitted from a pair of Blue Jay errors and a wild pitch by Blue Jay pitcher Ryan McConnell.

An Andy Puglisi home run in the top of the seventh pushed the lead to 6-0 before the Blue Jays mounted a mild comeback. Corey Gleason singled and scored in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-1 before the Spartans tacked on another run on an RBI single by Tim Myers in the top of the eighth.

The Blue Jays made things interesting with a three-run eighth of their own to pull within 7-4. Gary Rosenberg's two-run double plated Eric Nigro and Mike Durgala and Gleason singled home Rosenberg with still only one out in the inning. However, Gleason was forced out at second one batter later and Rob Sanzillo flied out to right to end what would be the Blue Jays' final rally.

McCullough improved to 3-0 as he struck out five and walked three while allowing the five hits and one run in seven innnings. Jeff Young was 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while Heller, Welch, Puglisi and Swope all picked up two hits for the Spartans.

Gleason and Matt Scally both collected a pair of hits for the Blue Jays, who will return to action Friday afternoon at home against Rutgers-Newark.