The Elizabethtown College baseball team split a final MAC Commonwealth Conference double-header at home against Lebanon Valley College on Saturday before finishing up the season with a 3-9 loss against York College at home on Monday, April 28. The Blue Jays finished the 2014 season with an overall record of 18-19 and an 8-13 record in the Commonwealth Conference.
Game one of Saturday’s double-header against the Flying Dutchmen of Lebanon Valley went in favor of Etown. First-year pitcher Kevin Elwell pitched his best start of the season as the Blue Jays marched to a 4-0 shutout win, their fourth of the season.
Elwell gave up only four hits over his seven innings on the mound, never allowing a runner to reach third base. He secured his fourth win of the season in his second complete game. This game was also Elwell’s first career shutout.
Junior first-baseman Luke Gatti knocked in the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. He went two for three in the game. Sophomore Sean Jones doubled in the fifth to score first-year Kyle Fackler, and senior Vaclav Hasik knocked in junior Tyler Weary on a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The Blue Jays’ fourth and final run came on a passed ball.
Game two of the doubleheader fell into the hands of the Flying Dutchmen. Lebanon Valley got off to a quick start by posting four runs in the first inning and three in the second for a 7-0 lead through just two innings. Etown’s pitching eventually got under control, as the Blue Jays allowed only one more run the rest of the game, but the Blue Jays came up three runs short and the game ended with a final score of 8-5.
Senior Ian Smith did his part at the plate for Etown. He was a perfect four for four and scored the Blue Jays’ third run of the game in the sixth inning. Etown had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Lebanon Valley notched the final out to deny the Blue Jays a comeback. Although Etown out-hit the Flying Dutchmen 14 to 10, the Jays left nine men on base and grounded into three double-plays.
The Blue Jays hosted nationally-ranked York College for their last game of the season on Monday at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium. The team’s three seniors, Kyle Gable, Smith and Hasik started in their final game. Jones, Gatti and junior Alex Holbert each contributed a run in the loss.
Etown starter Taras Letnaunchyn gave up five runs, three earned on seven hits, but only made it into the third inning.
Sophomore Nick Gulla replaced Letnaunchyn and went six innings, allowing four runs. Gulla had a temporary lock on the Spartan bats, retiring the side in order in the fifth and pitching scoreless sixth and eighth innings.
Etown finished in sixth place in their last season in the MAC Commonwealth Conference. Next year, the team will begin play in the Landmark Conference.
