May 15, 2009

Final Stats

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - It looked like the day would belong to USC Upstate junior ace Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley), who set the school's single-season strikeout mark in a 5-3 win in the first game of Friday's doubleheader at Campbell. Then, senior Dennis McCraney (Catawba, S.C./Rock Hill) stepped on the mound for his final game, setting the school's career appearance record.

McCraney (4-1) finished the day with his first career complete game in his record-setting 77th career appearance, going the distance in a six-hitter, leading Upstate (17-37 overall, 7-23 A-Sun) to an 8-2 win over the Camels (27-24 overall, 7-19 A-Sun), securing the series and doubleheader sweep at Taylor Field to wrap up the 2009 season.

McCraney allowed just three hits in his first eight innings, shutting down the Camel offense, which entered the week ranked 10th in the country in runs per game. He allowed six hits and four walks, but two of those came in the first inning before he found his groove. He faced the minimum 15 batters from the second inning to the seventh, allowing two base hits in that time, but McCraney alertly stepped off to cut down a runner attempting to steal in the fourth and then freshman second baseman Branden Millhouse (Summerville, S.C./Summerville) fully extended on a ball to his left in the fifth inning, flipping on a belly flop to start a double play.

The senior left-hander finally ran into a little trouble in the ninth inning, as the A-Sun's leading hitter Justin Hamme became the all-time leader in doubles with a shot to left-center. Brian Gana hit a homer to right to follow in his last collegiate at bat. After a foul out and a strikeout, McCraney gave up a double and a walk before a fielder's choice to Millhouse, with senior shortstop Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) standing on the bag at second to end the game.

McCraney finished his career 13-5 overall, tying for eighth in school history in wins, while his 77 career appearances broke the 17-year-old mark of 76 appearances by Chris Fowler (1989-92).

The Spartans got to work early as junior Ryan Wilkins (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) singled to right center to lead off and senior Tommy Shovlin (Daytona Beach, Fla./Merritt Island C.C.) added a line single to left. After a flyout helped Wilkins tag to third, senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) extended his hitting streak to 25 games with an RBI single deep in the hole at shortstop to score Wilkins. After a walk loaded the bases, Shovlin scored on a sac fly.

Upstate added to the lead in the third inning, as Guillen singled down the left-field line and Medley followed with a single to left. A wild pitch moved each batter up a bag and senior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) drilled a single through the first baseman's glove to make it 3-0. A fielder's choice brought in Medley.

The 4-0 lead stood until the eighth inning when Simpson hit a one-out single through the right side. After a strikeout, he took second on a wild pitch and scored on a single to center field by Millhouse. The Spartans added three more to take an 8-2 lead in the ninth, as Shovlin tattooed a ball off the left field wall in his last at bat to lead off. Junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) singled to second and a sac fly brought in Shovlin. Guillen, in his last at bat, tripled to left center to score Tanner. Medley added a single through the right side to bring in Guillen and make it 8-2.

Wilkins finished 3-for-4 with a run, Shovlin added two hits, Tanner posted three hits and a run, Guillen posted two hits, two runs and RBI, Medley added two hits, two RBI and a run and Medley had two hits, a run and an RBI for the Spartans. No Camel had more than two hits.

Colin Parker (1-2) took the loss for the Camels, throwing 1 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and two runs.

Branham pitched brilliantly to pick up his second win of the year, allowing four hits and one earned run in seven innings to lead Upstate to a 5-3 win in the first game of the doubleheader. He struck out seven in the game to establish a new single-season record for strikeouts, finishing his season with 82, besting the mark of 80 by Michael Stone set in 2000.

Upstate got a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, as senior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) singled through the right side and stole second with one out. However, as junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) walked, Simpson was thrown out trying to steal third.

The Spartans' rally wasn't quelled though, as senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) hit a bouncer through the middle to extend his hitting streak to 24 games. Senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) blasted a double down the left field line to score Tanner and Morgan.

A third run crossed in the second inning, as sophomore Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) led off with a walk. He moved to second on a sac bunt and third on a single by junior Ryan Wilkins (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) before scoring on a fielder's choice.

A walk, a stolen base, an error and a single by Stephen Parsons cut the Spartans' lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second. The Spartans got the three-run lead back in the top of the third as Guillen tripled into right center with one out and scored on a fielder's choice.

The Camels cut the lead to 4-2 in the fifth inning when Kevin Nelson singled to lead off, took second on a grounder, third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder. Upstate responded in the sixth, as freshman Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) doubled into left field and sophomore Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) followed with a line single into left center to score Moyer.

The day belonged to Branham, though, as he struck out his record-tying batter in the fourth inning, his fifth K of the game before breaking the record by striking out Stephen Parsons with one out in the seventh. Then, for good measure, he struck out Kevin Nelson in a terse 16-pitch at bat that featured 10 foul balls with two strikes before a slider in the dirt on a full count ended Branham's season.

The 6-6 junior, who moved into third in school history with 177 career strikeouts and tied for 10th with 11 career victories, finished the game by retiring eight in a row.

A walk and hit batter brought the Camels back within two in the eighth, as Zach Johnson singled to drive a run in, but a fly ball got the Spartans' senior Phillip Myers (Louisville, Ky./Seminole C.C.) out of a first and second jam. The Camels looked to take advantage again in the ninth as a double, a single and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with no outs, but Myers settled down to get a pair of popups before Ellis Lowe, who entered the game hitting a gaudy.414, came to the plate. With one strike, Lowe hit a ball that just went wide of the bag at third base, nearly tying the game. However, two pitches later, Myers got Lowe to chase an offspeed pitch in the dirt to end the game.

Myers earned his second save of the year, allowing three hits and no runs in two innings. He struck out two. In two years with the Spartans, Myers accumulated a 3-5 career record with two saves. In 97 innings, he struck out 76 and he set a school DI-era record when he started the 2009 season by throwing 15 2/3 scoreless innings.

Logan Davis (6-2) took the loss for the Camels, allowing seven hits and five runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out two.

Simpson finished 2-for-5 with an RBI, Morgan went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI, Tanner went 2-for-4 with a run and Moyer went 2-for-2 with a run and two walks to lead the Spartans, who pounded out 11 hits in the game. The Camels got two hits apiece from Alex Aycoth and Stephen Parsons.

The game also signified the end of the careers for four position players. Guillen finished his senior season by going 4-for-8 with four runs in the doubleheader. He finished his career with a .292 average (192-for-682) and he was third in career assists (470), fifth in games played (682) and 10th in hits (192). He finished 2009 with a .300 average and career highs of 40 runs, 67 hits, 14 doubles, three triples, two homers and 42 RBI.

Morgan finished his career on a DI-era high 25-game hitting streak. He batted .326 as a senior with career highs in hits (71), doubles (16), homers (6) and RBI (42). In just two years with the Spartans, the catcher/first baseman posted 58 runs, 121 hits, 26 doubles and 10 homers.

Shovlin, who went 2-for-5 with two runs in the season finale, finished his career with a .270 batting average, 31 runs, 40 hits, eight doubles, two triples and 17 RBIs in 49 games.

Simpson, who went 4-for-10 in his final two games, finished his career by hitting a career-high .302 as a senior. A four-year letterwinner, Simpson posted 84 career runs, 119 hits, 16 doubles and 59 RBI. He finished his senior year with 48 hits, 31 runs, six doubles and 24 RBI, which also tied a career high.