Feb. 26, 2009

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) went 2-for-3 and scored the game-tying run in the top of the ninth inning for the USC Upstate baseball team, but Wofford used two bottom of the ninth walks to set up a walk-off grand slam from Konstantine Diamaduros as the Terriers sneaked away with a 7-3 win over the Spartans on Thursday night at King Field.

Josh McKinney drew a one-out walk to lead off the ninth inning and Michael Gilmartin followed with a single for the Terriers (3-3 overall). An intentional walk to Kyle Behrendt loaded the bases and Upstate sophomore reliever Tim Fournier (Seneca, S.C./Walhalla) came back to strike out the next batter for the second out, setting up Diamaduros' homer to left to end the game.

The Spartans (2-3 overall) tied the game at three with a single tally in the top of the ninth of Terrier closer Gilmartin, as Simpson led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. A sac bunt moved him to second and senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) drove him in with a double to right field. A wild pitch moved Guillen to third, but he was left stranded after Gilmartin got two strikeouts.

Upstate took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, as junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) led off with a single, a fielder's choice put senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) on. Freshman Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) doubled into the right-field corner, moving Morgan to third, where he scored on a grounder.

Wofford, who had struggled to get going against Upstate junior starter Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley), finally scratched four hits together to take a 2-1 lead.

Upstate tied the game at two in the top of the seventh inning, as junior Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) reached on an error. After a strikeout, a single by Simpson moved Dempsey to third, where he scored on a single by sophomore Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern). However, a strikeout and a fly to center left runners stranded on second and third.

The Terriers got one more run in the seventh on a single and an RBI double from Alex Lee, taking a 3-2 lead and setting up the dramatic ninth inning.

Gilmartin went 2-for-4 with two runs and Diamaduros added two hits and five RBIs for the Terriers. Upstate had eight hits in the game, with Simpson the lone player to have more than one.

In a battle of aces, Branham pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs. He walked three and struck out six, becoming the 17th player in school history to reach 100 career strikeouts with his first punchout of the game. Scott Summers took a no-decision for Wofford, allowing five hits and one earned run in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

Gilmartin (1-0) got the win in relief, allowing a run in 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out three. Junior Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on one walk in 1/3 inning.

Upstate will get back on the field on Friday as Army comes to town. Weather forecasts have already disrupted the three-game set with Army, with Friday's game scheduled for 4 p.m. moved up to 2 p.m. On Sunday, to accommodate Army's travel plans, the game, originally set for 1 p.m. is now set for a 12 p.m. start.