Lincoln Christian too much for York Juniors

YORK – The Lincoln Christian Juniors got on the board early with a pair of the runs in the top of the first to seize momentum early. By the end of the fifth, the cushion had grown to 5-0, more than enough breathing room for the visitors to roll to an 8-2 victory over the York Cornerstone Junior Kings on Thursday evening at Levitt Stadium.

The first-inning outburst was fueled by a York error, a hit batsman and a two-out, two-run single to center field.

York got a one-out single from Cameron Logston in the bottom of the first but nothing else. In the second, Tanner Wagner singled to center field to lead off the frame, but a pair of blunders on the base paths extinguished the threat.

Lincoln Christian tacked on a run in the third and Logston ripped his second base knock of the game on a ground ball up the middle in the bottom of the frame but was caught stealing second to end the inning.

It was 5-0 in favor of the visitors before the Kings finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth, when James Sampson hammered the first pitch of the at-bat over the left-field wall and into the East Hill Park bleachers for a one-out solo home run.

Brayden Wegrzyn followed with a single on a line drive to left field and Rylan Reutzel drew a walk, but York was unable to push another run across the plate and went to the final inning down by four.

Three outs later, the deficit stood at seven after Lincoln Christian plated a trio of runs on a two-run double and an RBI groundout. York refused to go quietly in the bottom of the seventh as Carson Buller drew a leadoff walk and Landon Sterns cranked a double to center field to put a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody down.

After a strikeout, Carsen Pieper delivered an RBI groundout, but a strikeout ended the inning and the ballgame as the Cornerstone Kings dropped to 5-4 on the season with an 8-2 loss.

York tallied six hits but only managed a pair of runs. Logston turned in a multi-hit outing at the dish with a pair of singles, while Sterns’ double and Samsons’ solo shot accounted for both of the team’s extra-base hits. Wegrzyn and Wagner rounded out the offensive production with one single apiece.

Emmitt Dirks got the start on the hill and took the loss for the Kings, allowing four runs – two earned – on four hits and no walks while racking up six Ks in four innings of work. Parker Friedrichsen tossed three frames of relief as he gave up four earned runs on five hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts.

York was back in action Friday evening at Levitt Stadium as they hosted Seward in a Junior/Senior doubleheader.