March 7, 2009

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Junior Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) went 5-for-7 with three RBIs in Saturday's doubleheader, helping lead the USC Upstate baseball team to a 6-4 game one win and helping the Spartans nearly pull off a five-run comeback in the second game before succumbing to Belmont, 7-5, in Atlantic Sun Conference action at Harley Park.

Eight innings of seven-hit baseball from freshman Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) helped keep USC Upstate (4-6 overall, 1-2 A-Sun) in the first game, while the Upstate offense warmed up to post 11 hits and guide it to a 6-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader.

Moyer (1-1) collected his first collegiate win by tossing eight frames, allowing seven hits and five walks but just four runs. He struck out three and didn't allow a run in his final five innings of work.

The win was the Spartans' 95th at Harley Park, as the six-year old stadium passed Rifle Field, Upstate's on-campus home from 1986-90 and 1994, as the on-campus facility that has seen the most Spartan wins. The Spartans won 123 games at Duncan Field in downtown Spartanburg from 1991-2003.

Belmont (6-6 overall, 2-1 A-Sun) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a two-run homer from Daniel Wagner. Upstate quickly responded with three in the bottom of the frame, though, as freshman Jeff Medley (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) led off with a single and senior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) followed with a bunt single, setting up sophomore Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo), who delivered a line single to center field. After a strikeout, Dempsey hit a double off the base of the center field fence driving in two runs.

The Bruins followed with two runs in the third inning thanks to another two-run homer from Derek Wiley, but Medley responded by tying the game in the bottom of the third by belting his first career homer over the center field fence.

The Spartans took the lead in the fifth inning as senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) led off with a single and took second when junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) delivered a single in front of a diving right fielder. A flyout moved Guilen to third where he scored on a sac fly from Medley.

Meanwhile, Moyer was in control, getting double plays in the fifth and sixth innings and then allowing just one runner reach on an error in the seventh and eighth frames.

The Spartans scored an insurance run in the eighth inning, as junior Ryan Wilkins (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) doubled with one outs, took third on a quick decision on a pitch in the dirt and scored on a sac fly from Dempsey.

Junior Barrett Stover (Durham, N.C./Lenoir C.C.) allowed the winning run to come to the plate in the ninth inning, but left two runners stranded in his scoreless inning of relief to pick up his second save of the season.

The Spartans were led by Medley in the game, who finished 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI and Dempsey, who went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two doubles. Belmont had seven different players with hits, with Wiley and Wagner each posting two RBI.

Belmont used a five run fourth inning, taking advantage of two Spartan errors, to lead it to a 7-5 win in the second game of the doubleheader. The Spartans closed within a run at 6-5 in the seventh inning, even loading the bases, but couldn't come up with the equalizer, as they left 11 men on base in the game, eight in the last four innings alone.

Belmont used a homer from Brandon McCall in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, but Upstate tied the game in the bottom of the frame as Medley singled to third base and Simpson followed with a double into right center field. A groundout by Moyer brought in Medley.

The five-run fourth gave Belmont a 6-1 lead, but the Spartans cut into the lead with two runs in the sixth. Guillen led off with a single up the middle and a throwing error on a fielder's choice put Tanner on second base. A single from senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) moved Tanner to third, where Medley helped him score on a sac fly. A walk by Simpson and an infield single from Bisgounis loaded the bases. Then a wild pitch on a curveball brought Bisgounis in, but when the throw from the catcher to the plate sailed over the pitcher, the Spartans sent the runner home from second and he was easily cut down by the first baseman backing up the play.

The Spartans got back to work with two more runs in the seventh, though, as Moyer led off with a single and bunt singles from both Dempsey and sophomore Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) loaded the bases. A sac fly scored Moyer and a single up the middle from Tanner scored Dempsey, but after Morgan was intentionally walked to load the bases, Belmont closer Jimmy Stanley got a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat.

A homer from Wiley gave Belmont its final two-run cushion in the top of the ninth, as Upstate left two runners stranded in the eighth and the ninth innings.

Freshman Ryan Fern (Oviedo, Fla./Winter Springs) (1-1) was tagged with the loss, pitching four innings, allowing five hits, three walks and three earned runs. He struck out two. The Spartan bullpen looked sharp, tossing the final five innings, allowing five hits, but just the one run. Freshman Adam Waters (Denver, N.C./Hopewell) pitched two innings, striking out two before junior Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) tossed two scoreless innings, also fanning two.

Garrett Fanchair (1-0) earned the win for the Bruins, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits, three walks and three runs. He struck out four. Stanley earned his fourth save, pitching 2 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and three walks, but also striking out three.

Wiley finished 2-for-5 with two runs and Wagner went 3-for-5 with a run and two RBIs to lead the Bruins. Vinny Casha added a 3-for-5 game. The Spartans got two-hit efforts from Tanner, Bisgounis and Dempsey, as Tanner added a run and a RBI.

Upstate gets back into action during the midweek with the start of a five-game road trip as they head to North Carolina A&T for a 3 p.m. game Tuesday.