Game 1 Box Score (.pdf)
Game 2 Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate baseball team picked up two victories on Saturday as it swept the Saint Joseph's Hawks by scores of 5-1 and 12-5 in a doubleheader at Harley Park.

Upstate improves to 3-5 on the season while Saint Joseph's falls to 1-4.

The two teams will conclude their three-game weekend series Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m.

Game One
Brian Boocock (2-1) hurled 7.0 innings and surrendered just one run (none earned) while allowing no walks and striking out nine to pick up the win. Tim Ponto (0-1) took the loss as he gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits, three walks and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Zac Manuppelli pitched the final two innings for the Spartans and struck out two.

The Hawks struck first with one run in the top of the second to lead 1-0. Matt Maul drove in John Brue from second to give Saint Joseph's the 1-0 lead after Brue led off the frame with a single to right field.  Brue would advance to second following a Spartan error.

Upstate answered back with three runs in its half of the third inning highlighted by an RBI groundout by Erik Samples. Samples plated J.J. Shimko for the first run of the inning after he recorded on a one-out single. Cody Brittain and Daniel Fickas also came home in the inning when Zach Krider reached on a Saint Joseph's error.

Boocock retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth innings before the Spartans added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to increase their lead to 5-1. Shimko, who walked to lead off the inning, scored the first run following another Hawks error. Krider added to the lead two batters later as he took a first-pitch single into left field that brought home Samples from second.

Manuppelli sat Saint Joseph's down in order in the top of the ninth to give Upstate the 5-1 victory.

Krider led the Spartans with two hits and had one RBI along with Samples.

Five different Hawks posted one hit apiece while Maul drove in the lone run.

Game Two
Upstate jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead through the first two innings as it scored three runs in the first and one in the second. Krider sparked the scoring in the first with his RBI sacrifice fly to center field, followed by a one-out two RBI single to left field by Charlie Carpenter. In the bottom of the second, Brittain scored on an RBI fielder's choice from Krider.

Saint Joseph's cut the lead to 4-1 in the top of the third on Stefan Kancylarz's RBI single down the right field line. The Spartans answered with two more runs in the bottom of the third to push their lead out to 6-1. Brittain drove in both runs during the third as his double to left center field plated Shimko and Stephen Dowling.

The Hawks rallied for two runs each in the fifth and seventh innings to cut Upstate's advantage to 6-5. Kancylarz had a two RBI single in the top of the fifth before Marc Giacalone made it a one-run game with his two-run single during the seventh. Following the hit by Giacalone, Dylan Parker came on in relief of Spartan starter Tyler Jackson. Parker responded by striking out Nick Fuhrmann with the tying run at third to end the inning.

Upstate broke the game open with three runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to extend its lead to 12-5. Shimko, Fickas and Jordan Ford each had an RBI hit in the bottom of the seventh, while Shimko brought in two more runs in the eighth after his two RBI double. James Fowlkes scored the first run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch by Saint Joseph's reliever Zach DeVincenzo.

Parker (1-1) earned the win in relief after pitching 2.2 innings while giving up two runs on four hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Tyler Pallante (0-1) suffered the loss as he allowed four runs on six hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched.

Shimko had a team-high three RBI for the Spartans and was one of six players with two hits apiece as they finished with 12 total in the doubleheader finale. Krider, Carpenter and Brittain all drove in two runs.

Kancylarz posted three hits and three RBI for the Hawks.

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