March 16, 2010

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - After posting only four hits in the first eight innings, the USC Upstate baseball team rallied for three hits in the ninth, leading to three runs, but Charleston Southern was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam to hand Upstate an 8-5 loss and sweep the season's home-and-home series between the schools in non-conference action on Tuesday at Harley Park.

The Spartans (7-11 overall) started the rally in the ninth when junior Phillip Brannon (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) drew a walk. After a fielder's choice, junior Andre Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) lifted a single into right center, moving the runner to third, where he scored on a sac fly.

Down to their last out, the Spartans kept the rally moving, as sophomore Austin Liput (Oviedo, Fla./Trinity Prep) singled into left field and freshman Brody Greer (Honea Path, S.C./Belton-Honea Path) drew a 3-2 walk, bringing up senior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill), who also drew a full-count walk to drive in Harris and bring cleanup hitter Tyler Cook (Bloomington, Ill./University) to the plate as the tying run.

Patrick Dolan took the mound from left field to close the game, but Cook singled in Liput with a liner to right field to keep his average over .400, and sending the winning run to the plate, but a popup ended the threat.

Charleston Southern (7-10 overall) got on the scoreboard first, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-run homer from Matt Still.

Upstate closed within a run in the bottom of the inning, as Tanner led off with a walk, took third after a throwing error and scored on a sac fly from sophomore Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford).

The Bucs extended the lead with single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings before Upstate's bats finally woke up in the bottom of the sixth. Moyer notched a two-out single to center before Brannon posted his first career hit with an infield single, setting up junior Joe Barnes (Lake Orion, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.), who delivered a single into center field to score Moyer and cut the Bucs' lead to 4-2.

Charleston Southern answered though, as Patrick Dolan delivered a three-run homer to left to give the Bucs a 7-2 lead. Another run crossed on a walk, a steal and an RBI single from Brantley Meier in the eighth.

Liput led Upstate's offense with two of the team's seven hits, while Harris added a single and two walks. Meier posted two hits and a RBI, Derek Smith added two hits, a run and RBI, Dolan posted two hits, three RBI and a homer to go along with his save and Drew Woodall added two hits, a run and RBI for the Bucs.

Andrew White (1-0) pitched well to earn the win for the Bucs, tossing six innings and allowing four hits and one earned run. He walked two and struck out four.

Freshman Ryan Newell (Marietta, Ga./Marietta) (1-2) took the loss, allowing three runs, two hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings. Freshman Scott De Cecco (Cape May Courthouse, N.J./Middle Township) tossed 45 pitches in three innings in his pre-determined short start, allowing just three hits and a walk. He struck out two.

Upstate will get back on the field on Friday when it starts a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference set at ETSU. Game time is set for 6 p.m.