March 14, 2008

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Kyle Bowley (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) pitched eight innings of six-hit, one-run baseball and both junior Phillip Morgan (Campbello, S.C/Spartanburg Methodist) and senior Casey Rivers (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) scored three times as the USC Upstate baseball team posted a 13-2 win over Campbell in the opener of a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference set on Friday afternoon at Harley Park.

Bowley, who lowered his ERA from 1.42 to 1.33 with his performance, posted his third quality start of the season by pitching eight innings, allowing six hits and walking none. He struck out seven and faced just five batters over the minimum. He also improved to 3-1 on the season and 15-10 in his career, which is tied for the fifth-most wins in school history with Don Brock (1987-88) He also became just the fifth hurler in school history to reach the 200-career inning mark in the game and now with 135 strikeouts, he passed Chris Hawkins (1986-87), the current head softball coach, for eighth on the all-time list.

The Spartans (6-10 overall, 4-3 A-Sun) scored a first-inning run as senior Andrew Runion (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) tripled off the centerfielder's glove in right field with two outs and was driven in when Morgan slipped a single past a diving second baseman. Freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) doubled to left-center to lead off the second, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on a grounder from junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.

A five-run third inning put the Spartans in control, as freshman A.J. Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) singled to right to leadoff. After Runion hit into a fielder's choice, Morgan walked and Rivers reached on a two-base error by the shortstop to score Runion. Sophomore Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Stars Mill) walked to load the bases and Bisgounis followed with a single to right to score Morgan. A throwing error by the catcher scored Rivers and Tanner and Bisgounis scored when freshman Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) singled to right center.

Three more runs crossed in the sixth, as Clark started things with a one-out single. After a strikeout, Morgan singled and Rivers walked to load the bases. Tanner followed with a two-RBI single to center field and Bisgounis added a single to right field to score Rivers.

The Camels (6-8 overall, 4-3 A-Sun) finally pushed a run across in the top of the seventh as Ryan Hamme led off with a triple off the right field wall and scored on a groundball, making it 10-1.

Upstate responded with three runs in the eighth to make it 13-1, as Morgan reached on an error and Tanner and Rivers walked to load the bases. After a flyout, Green hit a ball off the pitcher's leg to score a run and Guillen followed with a single through the left side to score a run. A fielder's choice scored Morgan.

The Camels scored the final run in the top of the ninth, as Bryan Braswell hit a one-out RBI double to left center.

Upstate was led by a 3-for-5, two-run, two-RBI game from Bisgounis and a 3-for-4, three-RBI game from Green. A.J. Clark went 2-for-6 with a run, Runion went 2-for-5 with two runs and Morgan went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI as the two-through-eight hitters went a combined 14-for-30 with 13 runs and 11 RBIs for the Spartans.

Graham Fronk went 3-for-3 to lead the Camels' seven-hit attack. Justin Lilly (1-1) took the loss for the Camels, as he pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing 13 hits, 10 runs, nine earned, walking three and striking out seven.

Junior Bret Elliott (Lancaster, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) pitched the ninth inning, allowing a run, a hit and two walks.

Upstate will finish its set with Campbell with a Saturday doubleheader slated to start at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Harley Park.