Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – Daniel Fickas drove in four runs as USC Upstate defeated Rider 10-3 on Sunday afternoon at Harley Park. The 10 runs scored by the Spartans are a season-high.

Upstate improves to 5-2 while Rider drops to 0-3.

Fickas went 2-for-5 with a single, home run and four RBI. Hunter Gilbert went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, two runs scored and an RBI. Jaden Savage went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Jordan Ford was 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. J.J. Shimko was 1-for-3 with a single. Brendan Brundage went 1-for-4 with a double and RBI. Charlie Carpenter and Zach Krider each were 1-for-4.

Christian Estevez went 2-for-4 with a single and double. Patrick Murphy and Lee Lapinski each were 1-for-4 with a single and RBI.

Savage and Shimko each reached on a one-out single in the third inning before Fickas hit his first collegiate home run, a three-run blast to left field for a 3-0 Spartan lead.

Rider scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Dalton Mayberry led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a Murphy single. Murphy would come around to score thanks to a Lipinski base hit. Upstate got the runs back in the home half of the inning thanks to a Brundage double and a wild pitch.

Jake Bender led off the Rider fifth inning with a double and scored as a result of an Upstate error. The Spartans added two runs in their half of the fifth on a Gilbert single and Ford double. The Spartans capped their scoring in the sixth inning thanks to a Fickas double, a passed ball and a Carpenter solo home run.

Cody Brittain struck out a career-high nine batters while allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with four walks in five innings. Kevin Hickey, Elijah Willingham, Jordan Miller and Richie Lacell each threw a scoreless inning. CJ Hirschy took the loss as he allowed five runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

Upstate travels to Furman on Tuesday before facing Wofford on Wednesday at Harley Park.

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