May 13, 2008

Final Stats

HIGH POINT, N.C. - A walkoff home run from Randy Schwartz in the bottom of the 10th inning helped High Point down the USC Upstate baseball team, 6-5, on Tuesday night at Willard Stadium, spoiling a three-hit game from freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla,/Oviedo).

Freshman Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) hit a double down the left-field line with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to score junior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) and give Upstate (23-28 overall) a 5-4 lead. Simpson led off the top of the ninth with a single up the middle. He was sacrificed to second and after a flyout, Green slapped a pitch over the leaping third baseman to easily score Simpson.

However, the Panthers (19-30 overall) came back to tie the game in the bottom of the frame as Alfie Wheeler singled up the middle. After a fielder's choice allowed Max Fulginiti to reach. A wild pitch and an error moved Fulginiti to third where he scored on another wild pitch. Upstate was able to extend the game, though, loading the bases with two outs before getting a flyout to end the inning.

Upstate scored three runs in the sixth inning to help it take a 4-1 lead. Sophomore Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) led off the frame with a four-pitch walk and Bisgounis followed with a single to left-center. After a flyout, freshman A.J. Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) used a hit-and-run to deposit a ball between the second and first baseman to score Dempsey. A bunt single by junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) loaded the sacks and sophomore Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Stars Mill) delivered a line single up the middle to score both Bisgounis and Clark.

High Point answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Fulginiti posted a two-out single to start the rally. Drew Geissinher and Jeff Cowan each singled through the left side to score Fulginiti. An error brought Geissinger and Cowan to second and third, where Jeff Cowan drove them in with a bloop single to right field to tie the game.

The Spartans scratched a run across first, scoring a single tally in the fourth inning. Dempsey was hit by a pitch with two strikes on him. Bisgounis followed with a double down the left field line and a groundout brought home Dempsey. Three singles in the bottom of the inning helped the Panthers comeback to tie the game, with Alfie Wheeler singling home Kyle Mahoney with two outs.

Chris Norwood and Schwartz each had three hits to lead the Panthers and Wheeler also added two of the team's 12 hits. Bisgounis went 3-for-5 with a run and Guillen, Tanner, Runion and Simpson all added two hits. Dempsey scored twice while reaching on a walk and two hit by pitches.

Jeremy Berg (3-2) picked up the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed one hit and struck out one. Freshman Robert Stegbauer (Hillsboro, Ohio/Lynchburg-Clay) (1-3) took the loss, throwing two-plus innings of relief, allowing four hits, two runs and two walks. He struck out one.

Junior Phillip Myers (Louisville, Ky./Seminole C.C.) posted his second straight quality start, tossing seven innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs. He walked two and struck out two in 101 pitches. At one point, he retired nine batters in a row before allowing three runs in the seventh.

Upstate now gets set for its final Atlantic Sun Conference series of the year, facing Florida Gulf Coast, who has already clinched the regular season crown, with the first of the three-game set starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday night at Harley Park.