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Spartanburg, S.C. – Matt Jefferson threw a complete game and Quint Heady had four hits to lead Northern Kentucky to a 5-3 victory over USC Upstate Sunday afternoon in the final game of a three-game series from Harley Park.
Jefferson (3-5) allowed three runs on nine hits and struck out five en route to his second complete game of the season.
Upstate starting pitcher Zac Manuppelli (1-4) surrendered five runs in 5.1 innings and took the loss. Spartan relievers Dylan Parker, Eric Birklund and Cody Brittain combined to hold the Norse to just two hits over the final 3.2 innings.
Upstate needed just five batters in the first inning to push across a pair of runs and take a 2-0 lead, as consecutive singles by Erik Samples and Zach Krider and a throwing error by David Head on a ground ball from Charlie Carpenter allowed Upstate to score the first run of the game. James Fowlkes added an RBI single up the middle one batter later to bring home Krider with the second run.
Northern Kentucky cut the Upstate lead in half in the second inning on an RBI groundout by right fielder Anthony Vagnier. The Norse would go on to tie the game in the fourth inning when centerfielder Caleb Lonkard delivered an RBI groundout that scored Logan Spurlin.
Vagnier put Northern Kentucky ahead 3-2 in the sixth inning with an RBI single that brought in Spurlin from third. The Norse tacked on two more runs later in the inning on a throwing error and an RBI single by Heady.
Daniel Fickas pulled Upstate within two runs in the seventh inning when his RBI double to left field allowed Jordan Miller to score, but Heady threw out J.J. Shimko at the plate and Jefferson went on to give up only one more hit over the final two innings to preserve the win.
Krider finished with three hits and is hitting .378 since his return to the lineup April 14 at Furman.
Upstate returns to the diamond May 6 when the Spartans travel to Asheville, N.C., to face UNC Asheville from Greenwood Field.
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