Bears Upend Spartans, 5-2, To Close Out A-Sun Set
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2010
MACON, Ga. - Junior Philip Brannon (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) threw seven strong innings for the USC Upstate baseball team, allowing just two runs and six hits, but Mercer's Justice French threw a 92-pitch complete-game to lead the Bears to a 5-2 win over the Spartans in the rubber-game of an Atlantic Sun Conference set on Saturday afternoon at a waterlogged Claude Smith Field.
The Bears (25-20 overall, 9-9 A-Sun) took the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Joe Winker lifted a two-run single to right field and John Moreland later added a single to right field.
Senior Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) got Upstate (14-33, 4-17 A-Sun) on the board in the first, leading off with a single, taking second on a passed ball and taking third and scoring the manufactured run on two groundouts.
The Bears knotted the game at one in the third inning, as Billy Burns hit a one-out double and Jacob Tanis followed with a two-out single to drive in the run.
The two teams each scored a run in the fourth inning, as senior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill) ripped a double to left center with one out before moving to third on a grounder. He scored on a single through the right side by sophomore Austin Liput (Oviedo, Fla./Trinity Prep). The Bears tied the game as Michael Langley hit a homer to right-center.
Junior Philip Brannon (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) put together his second consecutive quality start in A-Sun play in the no-decision, tossing seven innings and allowing six hits, four walks and two runs. He struck out three. Brannon got 11 groundouts and five flyouts in the game.
However, his work was overshadowed by French (1-3), who was economical in his complete game, allowing just five hits and one earned run while picking up his first win. He struck out two and walked none, getting 23 groundball outs in the game.
Senior Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) took the loss for Upstate, allowing two hits, a walk and three runs in 2/3 innings.
Burns and Tanis led the Bears with two hits a piece and Michael Langley also scored twice. Tanner led the Spartans with a run, a RBI and a hit and Dempsey added a run and hit. Freshman Trey Richardson (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins) also doubled in his lone at bat in the ninth.
Upstate gets back in action after a 13-day break for final exams when it travels to Stetson for a three-game A-Sun series, starting on Friday, May 7 at 6 p.m.
