BUIES CREEK, N.C. – On Thursday night at Taylor Field, USC Upstate scored five unearned runs in the top of the eighth to surge ahead for good en route to a 8-3 win over Campbell in the second game of the doubleheader. Campbell claimed the first game by a score of 11-1.
With the split, Upstate improves to 18-36 overall and sits 9-18 in Atlantic Sun play, while Campbell now owns a 17-36 mark overall and a 3-26 league record.
Campbell 11, Upstate 1 (DH Game 1 / 7 innings)
Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C.) led off game one of Thursday's doubleheader with a single up the middle, but Campbell starter Frank Zier settled in and retired the next 17 batters he faced. Green broke up Zier's streak with a two-out single to second in the top of the sixth.
Campbell picked up its first hit off of Upstate starter Gaither Bumgardner (Fort Lawn, S.C.) when Alan Denman singled to left field with two outs in the fourth. The Camels scored the first runs of the contest on Ben Fish's two-RBI single to right, allowing Denman and Kyle Holmstrom to score. Colin Parker drove in Cameron Nelson with a single to center, pushing the Campbell lead to 3-0.
The Camels pushed the lead to 10-0 with a seven-run fifth inning. The Campbell fifth was highlighted by Kyle Holmstrom's two-RBI single to left.
Upstate scored its lone run of the contest in the top of the sixth when Green scored on Austin Liput's (Oviedo, Fla.) single to right field.
Campbell answered right back in the bottom of the sixth when Denman scored on Nelson's sacrifice fly to left.
Campbell starter Frank Zier (2-5) tossed 95 pitches in his complete-game effort allowing just one run on six hits with five strikeouts.
Bumgardner got the start on the mound for the Spartans but the sophomores outing was short lived. Bumgardner (1-4) tossed 74 pitches in his four-plus inning outing, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Bobby Rednour (Acworth, Ga.) pitched the final two innings for Upstate, giving up five hits, three runs (two earned) with one strikeout.
Green led the Spartans with a 2-for-3 effort and one run scored.
The Camels were paced by Denman's 3-for-4 performance with three runs and one RBI. Nelson and Fish also helped the Campbell effort as the duo combined for four hits, five RBI and three runs.
Upstate 8, Campbell 3 (DH Game 2)
Similar to game one, Blake Green led off the game with a single, this time to right field. Green was able to advance all the way to third thanks to a failed pickoff attempt by Campbell pitcher, Ryan Koopman. Green was able to score the first run of the contest on Austin Liput's RBI ground out.
Campbell tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Ellis Lowe scored on Alan Denman's fielder's choice RBI.
Upstate pushed in front again with a single run in the top of the third. Gaither Bumgardner scored on Tyler Miller's (Fort Mill, S.C.) RBI single to left center to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
The Camels tied the contest for the final time in the bottom of the fourth as Jimmy Brenneman's RBI double to left scored Colin Parker.
In the fifth, Bumgardner connected on his first homer of the season with two outs. His solo blast put the Spartans in front, 3-2.
Upstate was able to break open the contest with five unearned runs in the top of the eighth. Miller and Tyler Cook (Bloomington, Ill) were able to score with two outs thanks to a throwing error by Campbell reliever, Matt Marksberry. Bumgardner delivered a RBI single to short and Liput connected on a two-RBI single up the middle to push the Spartan lead to six at 8-2.
In the bottom of the ninth, Lowe scored Campbell's final run of the game on Kyle Holmstrom's RBI single up the middle.
Upstate starter David Roseboom (Pattersonville, N.Y.) picked up his fourth win of 2011 after pitching five full innings, while giving up eight hits and two runs (one earned) to go along with two strikeouts and three walks. Spartan rookie Jake Waller (Phoenixville, Pa.) earned his fourth save after allowing one run on four hits in four innings of work.
Campbell starter Ryan Koopman (3-10) hurled 115 pitches in seven innings of work and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Bumgardner led the Spartans with three hits, two runs and two RBI, while Green and Dillon Way (Orangeburg, S.C.) added two hits each.
Lowe and Josh Holskey tallied three hits each and Lowe scored two of the Camels' three runs.
The Spartans and the Camels will wrap-up the three game series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch slated for 2:00 p.m.
