April 3, 2009

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A five-run top of the seventh inning lifted Stetson to a 12-9 win over the USC Upstate baseball team in Atlantic Sun Conference action at Harley Park on Friday night, as the Hatters came from three runs behind in the sixth inning to overtake the Spartans.

The Spartans (7-20 overall, 2-11 A-Sun) had three players finish with two hits, as senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks), junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) and junior Ryan Wilkins (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) each posted multiple safeties. Guillen also scored a run, Tanner scored twice and Wilkins added a RBI. Senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) scored a career-high four runs thanks to three walks and senior Tommy Shovlin (Merritt Island, Fla./Daytona Beach C.C.) added a career-high four RBI.

However, the Hatters (11-17 overall, 4-6 A-Sun) got a 2-for-3, three-run, two-RBI game from Preseason All-American Jeremy Cruz, who hit a go-ahead homer in the five-run seventh. Frank Florio went 1-for-1 with a homer, walking four times to score three runs. Kyle Maulbetsch went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI and Mark Jones added three hits and two RBI to lead the Hatters' bottom third of the lineup, which went 6-for-11 in the game.

Upstate jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Guillen walked with one out and Tanner reached ona hit-and-run single. After Morgan walked, freshman Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) drove in Guillen with a walk, setting up Shovlin, who delivered a two-RBI single under a diving first baseman's glove.

In the second inning, the Hatters answered back by tying the score off Upstate's junior ace Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley), as a walk, two hits and an error led to three runs crossing, though just one run was earned.

Upstate took the lead back in the bottom of the third, as Morgan walked with one out and Moyer singled to right. Morgan came around to score when the right fielder misplayed the ball, sending Moyer to third on the two-base error. A sac fly by Shovlin brought in Moyer.

Florio's homer to right field made it 5-4 in the top of the fourth, but Upstate answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning, as freshman Jeff Medley (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) doubled down the left field line to lead off before moving to third and scoring on groundouts.

A leadoff double by Jones in the top of the fifth brought the Hatters within a run again, but Upstate used two runs in the bottom of the inning to take an 8-5 lead. Tanner led off with a single through the left side and Morgan followed with a double down the left field line. A groundout scored Tanner and after another grounder, Wilkins found a hole in the right side to score Morgan.

The Hatters scored two in the sixth on three hits after Branham was pulled at the end of the fifth inning, having pitched five innings, allowing four hits, two walks and three earned runs. He struck out five. The Hatters sent 10 players to bat in the seventh inning, posting six hits.

Upstate closed within three runs in the ninth, as Morgan led off with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. He took third and scored on groundouts. Wilkins hit a double to deep right field following the run scoring, but a flyout ended the game. Robbie Powell (2-3) earned the win in relief as he pitched four innings, allowing three hits, four walks and a run. He struck out two. Junior Barrett Stover (Durham, N.C./Lenoir C.C.) (1-4) took the loss for Upstate, allowing four earned runs and five hits in an inning of work.

Upstate wraps up its three-game set with Stetson on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Harley Park. Bret Hansen '07, the school's all-time triples leader, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of Upstate's season-long alumni first pitch campaign.