March 26, 2010

Final Stats

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A four-run ninth inning helped the USC Upstate baseball team bring the tying run to the plate, but a pair of groundouts helped Belmont win the first game of an Atlantic Sun Conference set, 8-5, on Friday afternoon at Shelby Park.

Down 8-1, the Spartans (7-16 overall, 0-7 A-Sun) rallied as junior Joe Barnes (Lake Orion, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) reached on catcher's interference and freshman Gaither Bumgardner (Fort Lawn, S.C./Great Falls) singled into left field. After a pop up, senior Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) drove a double down the left field line to score a run. An errant throw on a fielder's choice helped Bumgardner score and junior Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) singled into center to drive in Dempsey. A single by junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) loaded the bases with one out, bringing the tying run to the plate, but a pair of groundouts, although bringing in another run to make the final score, 8-5, ended the game.

The two teams matched each other with zeroes through the first two and a half innings thanks to some great defensive plays. With runners on first and third with one out in the second inning, a liner down the first bane was snagged by diving sophomore Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford), who fully lad out made a leap to put his glove on first to double off the runner and end the inning. With an Upstate runner on third base with one out in the third inning, Belmont (14-9 overall, 3-4 A-Sun) made a pair of diving plays, first on a low liner caught by shortstop Packy Elkins and then on a full extension layout on a grounder by Derek Hamblen, who got up to toss the batter out at first to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third, Elkins got the Bruins on the scoreboard with a homer over the low fence 317 feet away down the right field line. The Bruins got two runs in the third inning, as a pair of fielding miscues hurt the Spartans and the Bruins got three singles to do the damage.

Upstate got on the board in the sixth inning thanks to three straight errors, as Green reached on an error, took second on a dropped throw on a pickoff attempt and came around to score on an error by the shortstop on a grounder.

The Bruins got a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to finally chase junior Philip Brannon (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) from the mound. After striking out the first two batters looking, a single and a stolen base by Hamblen led to a single by Dylan Craig. Three more runs helped Belmont break open the game and take an 8-1 lead in the eighth inning, thanks to four walks and three hits.

Nate Woods (2-2) earned the win for the Bruins, tossing seven innings and allowing just three hits and an unearned run. He walked one and struck out six, retiring 11 in a row from the third to the sixth innings. Jon Ivie came in to earn his sixth save of the year by getting the final two groundouts of the game.

Brannon (1-4) pitched valiantly for the Spartans, tossing 6 2/3 innings, allowing just eight hits and striking out five. He allowed five runs, three earned, and tossed 132 pitches, keeping Upstate in the game.

Craig went 2-for-3 with three runs, an RBI and two walks and Tim Eggerton posted two hits and three RBI to lead the Bruins. Hamblen added two hits, two runs and an RBI and Elkins added two hits and a homer.

Upstate's eight-hit attack was paced by Tanner and Dempsey, who each posted two hits. Dempsey also added a run and RBI.

Upstate wraps up its three-game set with the Bruins on Saturday with a 1 p.m. A-Sun doubleheader set to start at 1 p.m. CT.