April 8, 2008

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A ninth-inning rally fell short for the USC Upstate baseball team on Tuesday night against Appalachian State in non-conference action at Harley Park, as Upstate brought the winning run to the plate with two outs, but a leaping catch at second base ended the game with Appalachian State grabbing a 6-4 win.

Freshman Reed Lishen (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach) led off the ninth with a single for Upstate (17-17 overall). After a fielder's choice and a strikeout, a dropped foul ball helped keep an at bat alive for senior Andrew Runion (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin), who delivered a single up the middle. However, a leaping catch by Wes Hobson on a liner from junior Tommy Shovlin (Merritt Island, Fla./Daytona Beach C.C.) ended the game.

The Mountaineers (16-17 overall) were able to build a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning, taking advantage of three unearned runs. They started with two runs in the second inning , as Jason Rook posted a two-RBI single. In the third, two more runs crossed thanks to a walk, a double, an error and a fielder's choice. A single tally crossed in the fifth thanks to a two-base error and two flyouts.

Another run crossed in the sixth, as a leadoff walk, a fielder's choice, wild pitch, flyball and a two-out single by Isaac Harrow pushed the run across to make it 6-0. Upstate broke through in the bottom of the inning, as junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) singled up the middle with two outs, took third on a hit-and-run single by Runion and scored on a sac fly. The Spartans added another run in the seventh when sophomore Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Stars Mill) singled through the left side to lead off, took second after a hit batter, third on a double play and scored on a line single to right by Lishen.

The Spartans closed within two runs in the eighth inning by crossing the plate twice. Runion singled to center field with one out and Shovlin doubled to left center to score Runion. After a sac bunt, Tanner delivered his third hit of the game through the 6.5 hole to score Shovlin. Rook led the Mountaineers by going 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs and David Rubinstein also went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Upstate got three hit games from Runion (3-for-5, one run) and Tanner (3-for-4, one run). Shovlin, a defensive replacement in the fifth inning, went 1-for-2 with a run and two RBIs and Lishen went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Zach Quate (3-0) pitched well to pick up the win for the Mountaineers, going six innings and allowing just four hits and one run. He struck out five. Adam Mills closed the door on Upstate for his third save of the year, allowing two hits and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings.

Freshman A.J. Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) (2-1) took the loss for Upstate, allowing four hits, four walks and two earned runs in two innings. He struck out two. Relievers junior Phillip Myers (Louisville, Ky./Seminole C.C.) and sophomore Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) pitched well in relief allowing just four combined hits and one earned run in seven innings of work.

Upstate stays at home this weekend, as it is set to host Atlantic Sun foe Kennesaw State makes the trip to Harley Park for a three-game set, starting with a single game on Friday at 6 p.m.