SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Gaither Bumgardner recorded a career-best seven strikeouts in four innings, but USC Upstate couldn't overcome two big innings from Dayton, as the Flyers combined to score seven of their nine runs in the second and eighth innings en route to the 9-3 victory over the Spartans on Saturday afternoon at Harley Park.
With the win, Dayton improves to 3-3 on the season, while the Spartans drop to 4-3 on the campaign.
The Spartans took an early 1-0 lead after third baseman Trey Richardson's fielder's choice ground ball scored center fielder Blake Green in the bottom half of the first, however, the lead would be brief, as the Flyers would explode for four runs in the top half of the second inning.
Flyer catcher Danny Welch doubled to left center and then was advanced to third as a result of first baseman Zach Stewart's single to right. Welch would later come around to score on an unearned run, tying the contest, 1-1, and then short stop Mel Skochdopole brought in Stewart as a result of a sacrifice fly, giving the Flyers a 2-1 lead.
Dayton would increase its lead when Ian Hundley doubled in Roesinger to make it a 3-1 game. It would be a bizarre play that would plate the fourth run of the inning for the Flyers, as Flyer center fielder Bobby Glover hit a high fly ball to deep center, where a hard-charging Green lost track of the ball in the sun and it caromed off of his head and behind him, scoring the fourth and final run of the inning for the Flyers.
Upstate would enjoy its most productive inning in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing 6-1, Tyler Miller tripled to left to get a Spartan in scoring position with one away in the inning. Catcher Luke Weber would double down the third base line, bringing in Miller. Weber would advance to third as Bumgardner grounded out to short on a fielder's choice, and would eventually score on a wild pitch by Dayton starting pitcher Matthew Hauschild, cutting the Flyers' advantage in half, at 6-3.
However, the Flyers would respond with three insurance wins in the top of the eighth inning, thanks in large part to a Glover two-out, two-RBI single that brought in a couple more Flyer runs. C.J. Gillman would deliver the final blow of the afternoon and provide the final margin of victory, singling in Hundley to set the final margin.
Bumgardner pitched four innings, yielding six hits, five runs and struck out seven. Hauschild improved to 2-0 on the season, striking out five Spartans and scattered nine Upstate hits through seven innings of work.
Blake Green finished 3-for-5 at the plate with one run and one RBI, while Tyler Miller finished with two hits and one run.
The Spartans will close out the weekend tomorrow with an 11:00 a.m. start time against the Butler Bulldogs.
