March 30, 2010

Final Stats

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Sophomore Tyler Cook (Bloomington, Ill./University) scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning and sophomore Ryan Fern (Oviedo, Fla./Winter Springs) earned his first win of the season by tossing a scoreless ninth inning to help lead the USC Upstate baseball team to a 4-3 win over UNC Asheville in non-conference action on Tuesday night.

With the score knotted at three, Cook was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth inning and he took second on a passed ball. After a fly out and a ground out, though, he was still stuck on second when senior Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) hit a roller to third base. Cook raced around the third baseman and then scored easily when the throw got past the first baseman after Dempsey had crossed first base.

In the ninth, Fern (1-0) was in control, getting two groundouts before striking the last batter out to earn his first win since his first career appearance, on Feb. 24, 2009.

The Bulldogs (7-14 overall) manufactured a run in the top of the eighth to tie the game at three, as Robert McIntosh tied the game with an infield single off Fern with the bases loaded and two outs. Fern got out of the jam, though, with a ground out, keeping the game tied.

Down 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Upstate (9-18 overall) took the lead with two runs, as junior Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) singled to lead off and stole second. After a strikeout, sophomore Austin Liput (Oviedo, Fla./Trinity Prep) singled under a sliding second baseman's glove to score Green. Senior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) followed with a line shot single off the first baseman's glove to move Liput to third and Liput scored on a sac fly by sophomore Tyler Cook (Bloomington, Ill./University).

UNC Asheville took the lead with two runs in the fifth thanks to an RBI triple by Catlin Carter to right center and Carter scored on an error on the play.

The Spartans broke through with a single run in the second inning, as sophomore Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) singled up the middle with one out. After a flyout, a single by senior Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) helped him take second before he scored on a single up the junior Andre Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.).

Upstate was led by two hits each from Tanner and Dempsey, as the team tallied nine hits in the game. UNC Asheville was led by two hits apiece from Carter, who also added a run and RBI, Robert McIntosh and Danny Baatz.

Fern earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing a hit and striking out one. Tyler Coyle (1-1) took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing an unearned run and a hit in one inning.

Both teams got solid starting pitching, as Asheville's Grier Harrington pitched seven innings, allowing eight hits, a walk and three runs. He struck out three. Freshman Gaither Bumgardner (Fort Lawn, S.C./Great Falls) tossed five innings, allowing seven hits and two runs for Upstate. He walked three and struck out one.

Upstate wraps up its midweek by traveling to Charlotte for a 6 p.m. game at Robert & Miriam Hayes Stadium on Wednesday.