April 26, 2008

Final Stats

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Senior Mike Colecchi (Oxford, Mass./Quinsigamond C.C.) hit a ball through the right side under a diving first baseman's glove in the top of the 11th inning to help the USC Upstate baseball team win the getaway game, 6-4, during Saturday's Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader at Greer Stadium. The Spartans fell, 4-1, in the first game of the doubleheader.

After each team scored twice in the 10th inning to keep the game tied at four, the Spartans (21-25 overall, 14-13 A-Sun) kept their offensive momentum going in what started as a pitchers' duel. In the 11th, senior Casey Rivers (Hudson, Mass./Worcester State) led off by getting hit by an 0-1 pitch. After a sac bunt moved him to second, freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) lifted a ball to right field that plopped feet in front of the right fielder, advancing Rivers to third. Colecchi followed with a bouncer that slipped under the first baseman's glove. After a walk, a sac fly scored Bisgounis.

The Spartans warded off an 11th inning rally by the Bruins (17-27 overall, 13-14 A-Sun) as three walks loaded the bases, but a slow roller in the infield was corralled by shortstop Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) to end the threat.

The Spartans started off a crazy 10th inning by scoring two runs off two hits and two Upstate errors. Freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) started off the inning with a base hit that fell out of a diving third baseman's glove. After a failed sacrifice bunt, junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) found a hole vacated by the shortstop on a hit and run to send Bisgounis to third. Freshman Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) laid down a sacrifice bunt on a safety squeeze and after a throwing error, not only did Bisgounis score, but Guillen also reached third. A grounder to short that could have been a double play allowed Guuillen to score after the relay throw went over the first baseman.

The Bruins came back from the dead in the bottom of the inning, though, after two strikeouts started the inning. With a 3-2 count, Packy Elkins was hit by a pitch and Brandon McCall followed with a single up the middle. Then Carlo Testa hit a ball down the right field line just out of the reach of a diving first baseman that rolled into the corner to score three runs. After an intentional walk, Nate Woods hit a ball up the middle that was just snagged by shortstop Guillen and as he ran into the outfield, he flipped to second baseman Green to get the force out and keep the game alive.

Belmont was the first to break through in the second game's pitcher's duel, with both teams combining for just three hits through the first five innings. In the sixth, however, two fielding errors and a base hit on an attempted sacrifice bunt loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Carlo Testa lined a single into right field to score two runs. However, Upstate got out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly out thanks to the clutch pitching of junor Bret Elliott (Lancaster, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist).

The solid work out of the bullpen helped Upstate score two runs and tie the game in the top of the eighth. Freshman Reed Lishen (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach) led off with a double over the center fielder's head before freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) singled into right center to score the first run. A sac bunt moved Bisgounis to second base, where he scored on a single through the left side by junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks).

Bisgounis went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI to lead Upstate and Guillen went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Testa was 2-for-4 and drove in all four Belmont runs and Matt Zeblo added a 2-for-4 game.

Upstate's bullpen was forced into action early, as senior Kyle Bowley (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) left the game with an injured hamstring in the fourth inning and performed reliably, allowing just two earned runs in 7 2/3 innings. Sophomore Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) (2-2) earned the win by throwing 2/3 innings in relief, allowing two walks. Freshman A.J. Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) earned his first career save, throwing the last 2/3 innings, allowing a walk.

Nate Woods threw seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and three walks to help Belmont take the first game of the doubleheader, 4-1. Upstate was held to just six hits in the contest, negating the 13th complete game of senior Scott Eckard's career.

Belmont built a 4-0 lead through seven innings despite one of the best performances of the year from Eckard (Lake Mary, Fla./Lake Mary) on the mound. Packy Elkins led off the game with a base hit to right field and after two outs were recorded, Derek Wiley hit a 3-2 breaking ball over the left field wall to give the Bruins an early 2-0 lead.

Eckard responded to the first inning by retiring 11 batters in a row before Nate Woods knocked a single in the fifth inning. Ryan Kincherlow followed with a double off the left-center field wall to score Woods, but Eckard settled down to close out the inning.

An unearned run crossed the seventh for Belmont, as Woods reached on a single. He stole second and took third on a throwing error, allowing him to score on a sac fly.

The Spartans brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth inning when Tanner and Runion led off with singles and Morgan drew a walk to load the bases for Rivers, who reached on an error. However, two strikeouts and a fly out to right end the inning without any further damage.

Tanner went 2-for-5 with a run and Rivers also added two hits in the game for Upstate. Woods went 2-for-3 with two runs and Kincherlow added two RBIs for the Bruins.

Woods (3-2) never let only one runner to third base during his seven innings and he struck out five. Jimmy Stanley earned his third save of the year, throwing two innings and striking out four.

Eckard threw a complete game for the Spartans, allowing six hits, two walks and three earned runs. He struck out six to further extend his school record to 256.

Upstate will get a 10-day break for the end-of-semester finals before retaking the field on Wednesday, May 7 when Presbyterian visits Harley Park for a 6 p.m. showdown.