University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
George Washington
Branham, DeCecco Strike Out School-Record Tying 17, But Spartans Fall, 5-1, To Colonials
3/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 5, 2010
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Senior Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) and freshman Scott DeCecco (Cape May Courthouse, N.J./Middle Township) combined to strike out a school-record tying 17 batters, but a four-run rally in the seventh inning helped George Washington get past the USC Upstate baseball team, 5-1, on a sunny Friday afternoon at Harley Park.
Branham (1-2) struck out a career-high 12 and allowed just one earned run, a walk and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. The senior struck out the side in the first and the sixth innings and punched out two each in the fourth and fifth frames. His second strikeout in the sixth inning was the 200th of his career, as he became the third player in school history to reach that mark.
DeCecco was just as untouchable in his time on the mound, as he struck out five in 2 1/3 innings, allowing just a single hit. He struck out the final batter to tie the school record of 17 strikeouts, set when then-USC Spartanburg fanned 17 against Limestone on Feb. 29, 1988.
However, the Spartans (7-3 overall) had just as much trouble hitting George Washington starter Eric Cantrell (2-0), who tossed eight innings and allowed six hits and an unearned run to snap Upstate's D-I-era record six-game winning streak. He struck out nine and walked two before yielding to Jeff Griffith, who tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Colonials (4-4 overall) finally broke through off Branham in the seventh inning, as they scored four runs on two hits and two errors. Three runs scored on a bases loaded single by Chris Luick to take a 4-1 lead.
Upstate nearly broke through in the eighth inning, loading the bases after singles by junior Joe Barnes (Lake Orion, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) and freshman Brody Greer (Honea Path, S.C./Belton-Honea Path) and a walk. However, a strikeout ended the frame.
Upstate, after Branham struck out the side in the first inning, got to work, with junior Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Rock Hill) singling on a slow infield hit before taking second on a past ball. Senior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) followed with an opposite field hit over the right fielder's head to bring in Green.
Branham worked out of trouble in the second after the Colonials loaded the bases with one out, but a pop-up and a strikeout got him out of the inning. In the third, however, George Washington did dent the scoreboard as it manufactured a run with Tom Zebroski singling to lead off, stealing second and scoring on a single by Chris Holland.
Chris Holland led the Colonials with three hits and two RBI and Luick added a run and two RBI. Curtis Edward also added two hits.
The Spartans got two hits and a run from Green and two hits from Tanner, who now has 194 in his career, one away from ninth in school history. Greer also extended his season-high hitting streak to eight games with his eighth-inning single.
The Spartans and Colonials play the second of their three-game set on Saturday at 1 p.m. before wrapping up the series on Sunday with a 12 p.m. start.
