March 14, 2010
Final Stats
Four players finished with two hits for the USC Upstate baseball team on Sunday afternoon, but a string of 11 unanswered runs from the fifth to the ninth innings helped FGCU rally to defeat Upstate, 12-3, in the finale of an Atlantic Sun Conference series.
Upstate (7-10 overall, 0-3 A-Sun) was led by three players that finished with two hits and run, as sophomore Tyler Cook (Bloomington, Ill./University) posted a double, a triple and a run, sophomore Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) added two singles and a run along with junior Andre Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.). Freshman Gaither Bumgardner (Fort Lawn, S.C./Fort Lawn) added a single, a triple and a RBI.
The Eagles took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, scoring a single tally after loading the bases with no outs. Upstate nearly got out of the jam, as sophomore Ryan Fern (Oviedo, Fla./Winter Springs) got a groundball double play and an interference call kept runners on second and third. However, Luke Smierciak reached on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop, barely beating the throw from freshman Brody Greer (Honea Path, S.C./Belton-Honea Path).
The Eagles added two more runs in the seventh, scoring the runs on four straight singles, with a two-RBI single from Josh Chester driving in two runs. FGCU added three more runs in the eighth inning, thanks to a two-run homer from Tim Roberson. FGCU rallied for four more runs in the ninth on four hits to take a 12-2 lead.
Upstate scored its final run in the bottom of the ninth, as Harris hit an infield single and Bumgardner followed with a triple to right center.
The Spartans took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Moyer led off with a single up the middle, moved to third on a single to left center by Harris and scored on a sac fly by junior Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern). The Eagles answered again, though, in the top of the fifth, scoring on a double by Robert Greene and a two-out RBI single by Mikel Alvarez.
Upstate took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, as Cook doubled down the right field line, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single to right field by junior Joe Barnes (Lake Orion, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.). The Eagles tied the game in the fourth with a single by Roberson, a passed ball, a sac bunt and a sac fly.
The first five batters in FGCU's lineup combined to go 12-for-23 with seven runs and eight RBI, as both Roberson and Chester added three hits and two RBI.
Richie Erath (3-0) earned the win for FGCU, tossing eight innings and allowing nine hits and two runs. He struck out three. Freshman Ryan Newell (Marietta, Ga./Marietta) (1-1) took the loss, allowing a run and two walks.
Senior Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) tossed five innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run. He walked one and struck out five to give him 208 in his career, which is second in school history.
Upstate gets back into action on Tuesday afternoon, looking for some payback when Charleston Southern visits Harley Park at 4 p.m. The Buccaneers beat Upstate, 8-4, in Charleston on Tuesday.
