April 24, 2010

Final Stats

MACON, Ga. - Freshman Scott DeCecco (Cape May Courthouse, N.J./Middle Township) tossed 8 1/3 innings, allowing just nine hits and two runs to earn his first career win, leading the USC Upstate baseball team to a 5-2 win over Mercer in the second game of a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference set at Claude Smith Field on Saturday afternoon.

Heavy rains in Macon have pushed the second game of the planned doubleheader back to at least 4 p.m. A plan for a first pitch of the third game will be made at the conclusion of the storm.

DeCecco (1-5) was in dominant form on Saturday, fighting off the wet weather to post a career-high eight strikeouts against the Bears (24-20 overall, 8-9 A-Sun). He allowed nine hits, but stranded seven Bears on the basepaths, allowing just two runs and inducing five flyouts and 11 groundouts. He even got stronger as the game wore on, retiring eight in a row from the sixth to the first out of the ninth, striking out five in that time.

The Spartans (13-32 overall, 4-16 A-Sun) were able to break a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning and add two more runs in the ninth, all thanks to bases-loaded walks.

In the sixth, freshman Gaither Bumgardner (Fort Lawn, S.C./Great Falls) hit a two-out double to right center before both freshman Brody Greer (Honea Path, S.C./Belton-Honea Path) and junior Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) hit infield singles to load the bases, setting up a four-pitch walk by freshman Tyler Miller (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill).

In the ninth, Green led off with a single. After a groundout, senior Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) singled into center field. A sac bunt moved Dempsey to second, but didn't score Green. Following an intentional walk of senior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill), both freshmen Trey Richardson (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins) and junior Andre Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) each drew walks to drive in runs.

The Bears nearly completed a comeback in the bottom of the inning, as a one-out walk chased DeCecco from the game in favor of junior Philip Brannon (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist), who got a popout before back-to-back singles loaded the bases for Jacob Tanis, the nation's leading home run hitter. However, Brannon got Tanis to swing over a 1-2 fastball for his first career save.

Upstate got onto the board in the third inning, as Tanner hit an opposite field homer to right field and the team added another in the fourth inning, as Harris singled into right center, moved to second on a sac bunt, took third on a grounder and scored on a single through the left side by Green.

The Bears tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, using three hits, including an RBI double from Travis Benn.

Tanner finished 2-for-4 with a homer, Green went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI and Bumgardner went 3-for-4 with a double and a run to lead the Spartans. Harris also had two hits, a run and RBI and Greer also posted two hits.

Billy Burns and Tyler McCarter each had two hits for the Bears. David Randall (4-4) took the loss for the Bears, tossing 5 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and three runs. He struck out three.