Baseball

Spartans Squander Early Lead, Fall to Charlotte, 12-6

Box Score

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After taking a 5-0 lead after three innings, the USC Upstate baseball team was outscored 12-1 over the final six innings as Charlotte claimed a 12-6 victory Tuesday night at Harley Park.

Upstate (18-6), who was held scoreless two weeks ago at Charlotte, scored three runs on two hits in the home half of the first.  With two outs and the bases loaded, Tyler Miller (Fort Mill, S.C.) singled to right allowing Jordan Stampler (Davie, Fla.) and Luke Weber (Spartanburg, S.C.) to score.  Greg Guers (Langhorne, Pa.), who moved from first to third on Miller's single, scored on a RBI single by Brandon Patterson (Polk City, Fla.) to give the Spartans the 3-0 lead after one inning.

The Spartans were able to tack on a single run in the second and the third to push the lead to 5-0 after three complete innings.  Lee Dunnam (Maitland, Fla.) scored in the second when Austin Liput (Oviedo, Fla.) reached on an error.  Guers scored his second run of the game when he was able to score from third on a sacrifice fly by Patterson.

Charlotte (13-12) scored their first run of Tuesday's contest when Tony Montalbano scored on a RBI single to left by Derek Gallello in the top of the fourth.

The 49ers were able to tie the contest with a pair of runs in the fifth and the sixth.  Both runs in the fifth were unearned, while J.J. Eleser delivered a two out, two-RBI single through the left side in the sixth.

Charlotte took the lead, 6-5, in the seventh thanks to a two-out RBI triple by Justin Seager.

The Spartans responded with a single run in the bottom of the seventh as the club tied the contest at six.  Guers singled up the middle as he drove in Stampler.

After each team posted zero runs in the eighth, the 49ers put the game away with six runs in the top of the ninth.  Shane Basen scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a wild pitch by Jordan Rusk (Longwood, Fla.).  The run and loss was charged to Spartan reliever Andrew Wyant (0-1, Newton, N.C.).

Charlotte reliever John Hamilton (2-0) earned the win in relief after pitching three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with three punch outs.

Guers led the Spartans at the plate with two hits, two runs and one RBI Tuesday night.  Meanwhile, the 49ers were led by Shane Brown, Tony Montalbano, and Patrick Raley.  The trio combined for seven hits, six runs and six RBI.

The Spartans will return to action tomorrow night when they host Gardner-Webb.  First pitch at Harley Park is slated for 6 p.m., with rookie David Palladino (Emerson, N.J.) set to make his second start in as many weeks against the Runnin' Bulldogs.

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