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Spartanburg, S.C. – Trent Higginbothem had three hits and five RBIs to lead North Florida to a 12-6 series-clinching victory over USC Upstate Saturday in game two of a three-game series from Harley Park.
Nick Karmeris added two hits, four RBIs and two runs scored and Donnie Dewees finished with three hits and three runs scored for the Ospreys.
James Fowlkes had a team-high three hits and two runs scored and Charlie Carpenter drove in his team-leading 43rd run for Upstate.
North Florida starting pitcher Bryan Baker (5-2) allowed two runs on three hits over six innings and earned the win. Spartan starter Blake Whitney (3-4) lasted three innings and suffered the loss. Four Upstate relievers combined to hold the Ospreys to no earned run over the final six innings.
Karmeris wasted no time in putting North Florida ahead when he connected for a three-run home run in the top of the first inning that scored Dewees and Ryan Robertson. The Ospreys tacked on three more runs in the second and built a 6-0 lead on an RBI groundout from Dewees and a two-run double by Higginbothem.
Higginbothem added two more RBIs in the fourth inning with a single to left before coming around to score two batters later on a groundout by Robertson.
Upstate used an RBI groundout from Zach Krider and a sacrifice fly by Carpenter in the fourth to push across two runs. But Higginbothem came right back for North Florida and tallied his fifth RBI of the game with a single in the fifth inning.
The Spartans loaded the bases to open the seventh inning and Sam Kysor grounded out to the right side to plate Fowlkes from third with the first run of the inning. Newly inserted shortstop Jordan Ford drove in a pair of runs two batters later in his first at-bat since March 15.
Dowling capped the scoring for Upstate with an RBI double in the eighth that drove in Fowlkes from second.
Upstate and North Florida complete the series Sunday at 1 p.m. when Zac Manuppelli takes to the mound in opposition of Matt Vaka.
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