DeLAND, Fla. - Senior Matt Branham (Columbia,
S.C./Spring Valley) threw seven strong innings, allowing just two
runs and six hits and the USC Upstate baseball team exploded for
four runs in the top of the third inning and were able to hang on
for a 4-2 win over Stetson in Atlantic Sun Conference action on
Friday night at Melching Field. Upstate improves to 15-32 overall
and 5-17 in the A-Sun and Stetson falls to 24-23 overall and 11-8
in the A-Sun.
Branham (4-3) strengthened as the game wore on, striking out
four in his last two innings, while the Spartans (15-32 overall,
5-17 A-Sun) played stellar defense behind him. He finished with
seven punchouts and two walks in his seven frames, tossing 108
pitches.
Freshman Gaither Bumgardner (Fort Lawn, S.C./Great Falls) earned
his first collegiate save as he tossed the final two innings,
allowing just an inherited run in the eighth and leaving a runner
stranded in the ninth thanks to two strikeouts in the frame.
After two hitless innings to start the game, the Spartan bats
came alive in the third inning, as they posted five hits to score
four runs. Sophomore Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast
Guilford) started the rally by bouncing a ball through the right
side and freshman Brody Greer (Honea Path, S.C./Belton-Honea Path)
followed with a line single to center field. After junior Blake
Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) laid down a sac bunt, senior
Brian Dempsey (Montverde, Fla./East Ridge) lined a triple into
right-center that cleared the bases.
Junior Joe Barnes (Lake Orion, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) followed
by chipping a bouncer over a drawn-in third baseman to drive in
Dempsey on the double and senior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville,
Ga./Starr's Mill) followed by driving a single up the middle to
score Barnes and give Upstate a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Greer's glove saved a run for the
Spartans, as he made a diving catch of a hot liner with a runner on
second and one out in the inning. He got up after the leap to his
left and had plenty of time to convert the double play.
Upstate's defense ended a rally in the fourth inning, too, as
the Hatters scored a run on three straight hits to start the
inning, with a double by Spencer Thiesen driving in a run and
leaving runners at second and third with no outs. However, freshman
Trey Richardson (Lakeland, Fla./George Jenkins) stabbed a hard-hit
grounder, raced to first and then had time to throw home to catch
the runner trying to score for the double play. Richardson also
grabbed another grounder to end the threat.
In the sixth inning, the Hatters threatened again after a
leadoff double, but Branham struck out the next two batters and got
a fly out to end the inning. In the seventh, after a leadoff walk,
the Spartans flashed the leather again, as sophomore Tyler Cook
(Bloomington, Ill./University) came in on a low-sinking liner into
left field and skimmed the ball out of the air just before it hit
the ground for the first out of the inning. On the mound, Branham
responded by striking out the next two batters to end the
frame.
A pair of leadoff walks and a wild pitch in the bottom of the
eighth inning helped the Hatters close within two runs, but once
again, Upstate's defense came through to stop a rally. With no
outs, a ball was hit into no man's land to the first base side of
the mound and freshman Bumgardner picked up the ball and on a dead
sprint and sprinted to first base for the out, keeping the runners
frozen at second and third. A grounder to short helped a run score,
but Bumgardner fielded another comebacker to end the inning. Eight
Spartans contributed hits in the game, with only Greer posting two,
as he went 2-for-4 with a run. The Hatters managed just six hits,
with Ryan Lashley posting two hits and a RBI.
Jacob deGrom (4-3) took the loss for the Hatters, as he tossed 7
1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and four runs. He struck out six
and walked one.
Upstate and Stetson will wrap up their three-game A-Sun set on
Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader, set to begin at 1 p.m.
