FORT MYERS, Fla. – On Friday night the USC Upstate baseball team pounded out 17 hits en route to a 12-5 victory at Florida Gulf Coast at Swanson Stadium, the first-ever win for the Spartans in Fort Myers.
Spartan starter Scott DeCecco (Cape May Courthouse, N.J.) earned the win and now sits 2-2 in 2011 after pitching seven complete innings allowing four runs on four hits while striking out six Eagle batters. Jake Waller (Phoenixville, Pa.) closed out the Eagles, as he struck out two while allowing just one run on three hits over the final two innings of work.
Upstate's victory on Friday snapped a six-game losing streak to the Eagles. Prior to the 12-5 win, Upstate last defeated FGCU in 2008.
Upstate (9-14, 3-5) took the early 1-0 advantage when Trey Richardson (Lakeland, Fla.) singled to left allowing Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C.) to cross home plate.
FGCU (12-11, 6-4 A-Sun) took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first when Javi Sujo delivered a two-out two-RBI single allowing Zach Maxfield and Tim Roberson to score.
In the second inning the Spartans were able to plate two runs to take a 3-2 lead. Anthony Vacca (Fonthill, Ontario) scored, tying the game at 2-2, when Green delivered a RBI single through the right side. Gaither Bumgardner (Fort Lawn, S.C.) reached on an error by the Eagle second baseman with two outs in the inning. The error proved costly as Grason Wiggins (Statesboro, Ga.) was able to score giving the Spartans the one-run lead.
The Eagles answered right back with a pair of runs in the home half of the second inning. Maxfield hit a sac fly to center while Roberson delivered a RBI single to right, giving FGCU its final lead of the night at 4-3.
The Spartans posted one of their three three-run innings with a three spot in the top of the third. Luke Weber (Spartanburg, S.C.) doubled to the left center field game allowing Austin Liput (Oviedo, Fla.) to notch the game at 4-4. Weber and Vacca also scored in the inning, putting the Spartans in front 6-4.
In the sixth, the Spartans again scored three runs and pushed the lead to five at 9-4. Green, Bumgardner and Richardson all scored in the inning.
An inning later, Upstate again scored three runs pushing the lead to nine (12-4). Tyler Miller (Fort Mill, S.C.) started the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on Vacca's sacrifice bunt. Miller scored on Wiggins' single, before Tyler Cook (Bloomington, Ill.) doubled to right, scoring Wiggins and Green.
FGCU added a run in the ninth to set the finally tally at 12-5.
Eagle starter Jason Forjet took the loss after pitching just 2.2 innings, as he gave up nine hits and six runs (three earned). In all, FGCU used five different pitchers against Upstate.
Every Spartan collected a hit on Friday and five different players collected two or more. Green led the way with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate with three runs and two RBI. Wiggins was 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI, while Bumgardner, Richardson and Liput each collected two hits.
Upstate and FGCU will wrap-up the three-game set with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
