March 27, 2009

Final Stats

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Junior Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) struck out a career-high 11 and allowed just five hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings, giving one of the best starts of his career, but three eighth-inning runs from Jacksonville lifted it to a 4-3 win over the USC Upstate baseball team in Atlantic Sun Conference action on an overcast Friday night at John Sessions Stadium.

Branham, whose previous career high was 10 strikeouts, punched out two Dolphins in each of the first four innings. With the 11 punchouts, Branham not only moved into the top 10 in the school's career history in the category, he moved all the way up to a tie for seventh with Michael Stone (1999-01) with 138 career strikeouts. During the game, he moved past Stan Smith (2001-04, 128), Chris Hawkins (1986-87, 131) and Brian Treudler (1992-96, 136). However, those strikeouts and six walks took a toll on his pitch count, as he threw a season-high 131 pitches, forcing him from the mound with runners on first and second and one out in the seventh inning.

The Dolphins (15-8 overall, 6-4 A-Sun) rallied after Branham left the mound, with a base hit by Jamaal Hawkins driving in the Dolphins' first run with two outs in the seventh before a lineout by the A-Sun's leading hitter, Jeremy Gillan, ended the inning.

Jacksonville pushed the winning run across in the bottom of the eighth, as a leadoff walk, a two-out single led to a game-tying double by pinch-hitter Dan Maier. After a pinch-runner was implemented, Joey Belviso dumped a Texas Leaguer just fair down the first base line to score the third run.

The Spartans (7-15 overall, 2-8 A-Sun) got out to a good start, taking a 3-0 lead after three innings. Senior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) doubled with one out in the first inning and after a groundout, senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) drilled a single up the middle to bring in Simpson. In the third, Simpson lined a single to right with one out and after a foul out, Morgan took a first pitch hanging breaking ball over the left-field fence for the two-run homer.

Simpson and Morgan led Upstate's seven-hit attack all night long, accounting for all three runs. Simpson finished 2-for-4 with a double and two runs and Morgan was 2-for-2 with a run, a homer, three RBI, a walk and a hit by pitch. Belviso led the Dolphins, going 3-for-4 with a RBI, the lone player on the team with multiple hits.

Joey Wedner (3-0) picked up the win in relief, tossing a scoreless inning, allowing a hit, a walk and striking out one. Chris Kaminski picked up his fifth save of the year, walking one in a hitless ninth.

Junior Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) (0-3) took the loss for Upstate, going 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and three runs. He walked one and struck out one.

Upstate wraps up its trip at Jacksonville with a Saturday with a doubleheader slated to start at 1 p.m.