Box Score (PDF)

Johnson City, Tenn. – Dylan Parker nearly pitched his second complete game of the season, but a critical fielding error in the seventh inning allowed ETSU to score the game-winning run en route to a 5-2 victory over USC Upstate Sunday afternoon from Thomas Stadium.

Parker was saddled with the loss despite allowing four earned runs on six hits in 7.2 strong innings of work. The West Columbia, S.C., native struck out two and walked two in his fifth consecutive strong outing.

Will Chesney gave up one run on two hits in one inning of work to earn the win in relief. Starter Logan Rice pitched the first six innings and allowed six hits to go along with four strikeouts. Clinton Freeman came on and pitched the final two innings to earn the save.

ETSU catcher Gage Downey broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double to left field that dropped just in front of a diving Stephen Dowling. Designated hitter Kevin Phillips singled to left to open the inning and took second on a sacrifice bunt from Jordan Sanford.

Upstate put runners on the corners in the sixth inning on a fielding error and a single from Zach Krider, but Rice induced an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam and leave the Spartans scoreless.

The Spartans ended up pushing across a run in the seventh inning on an RBI groundout from Daniel Fickas. Justin Allen led off the inning with a double into centerfield and advanced to third on a fielding error by Jeremy Taylor. Fickas followed by slapping a ground ball to the right side of the infield for his fifth RBI of the season.

ETSU answered with a run in the bottom half of the seventh, scoring the go-ahead run on a fielding error with two outs to take a 2-1 lead. Sanford reached on a two-out single to center and scored when Trey York's fly ball into centerfield was dropped.  

The Buccaneers added an insurance run in the eighth when Chris Cook scored from third on a passed ball. Sanford added a two-run single later in the inning to put ETSU ahead 5-1.

Tyler Lesch tallied his 19th RBI of the season in the ninth with a groundout to the right side to plate Brian Thompson from third. Thompson reached earlier in the inning with a pinch-hit infield single to first base.

Fickas registered three hits to lead the Spartans, while Daniel Seeba and Allen had two hits apiece to help Upstate hold a 10-7 edge in that category.

Upstate closes its seven-game road trip Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the Spartans head to Charleston, S.C., to face College of Charleston from The Ballpark at Patriots Point.