NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite a career-best four RBI by rookie catcher Luke Weber (Spartanburg, S.C.), the USC Upstate baseball team dropped the series finale at Lipscomb by a score of 10-7 on Sunday afternoon at Dugan Field.
Lipscomb (14-23, 5-10 A-Sun) tacked on a single run in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead after three innings of play.
Upstate (13-26, 7-12) used a four-run fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. With one out and Austin Liput (Ovideo, Fla.) on third and Trey Richardson (Lakeland, Fla.) standing on second, Weber delivered a two-RBI single through the left side to notch the game at 2-2.
Upstate took the lead when Weber was able to score from second thanks to a throwing error by Lipscomb's short stop, T.J. Hoelzer. The Spartans added their final run of the fourth inning when Branden Millhouse (Summerville, S.C.) singled through the left side, allowing Tyler Miller (Fort Mill, S.C.) to score.
The Bisons answered right back with five runs of their own in the home half of the fourth inning to push the lead to 10-4. The Bisons plated all five runs with two outs and they came on just two swings of the bat as M.L. Williams hit a two-run homer and Josh Chism hit a three-run home run.
The Spartans were able to cut the deficit in half with three runs in the top of the eighth. After Richardson walked, Weber hit a homer over the wall in left to cut the Lipscomb lead to four at 10-6. Miller scored the final run of the inning when Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C.) singled through the left side.
The Spartans had the heart of their lineup step to the plate in the ninth, but Upstate was retired in order, giving Lipscomb the win and the series.
Lipscomb reliever Alex Ross was credited with his first win of the season after allowing three runs on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Upstate starter Jake Waller (Phoenixville, Pa.) dropped his first decision of 2011 after giving up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and one walk. The Spartan rookie struck out four Lipscomb batters.
Upstate was led by Weber who finished 3-for-5 at the plate with four RBI and two runs. Four different Spartans (Green, Richardson, Miller and Millhouse) collected two hits in the series finale.
The Spartans will return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Greensboro, N.C., to face the Aggies of North Carolina A&T. First pitch at War Memorial Stadium is slated for 6:00 p.m.
