Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate Spartans scored four runs in the ninth inning but were unable to complete a last inning charge as FGCU claimed a 15-13 win in the finale of an A-Sun series at Harley Park on Sunday. 

FGCU improves to 21-25 overall and 7-8 in the league while Upstate drops to 20-25 and 3-11. 

After FGCU scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, Upstate began its rally with a one out, pinch-hit single by Zach Krider. Jake Beaver followed with a base hit before Devon Ortiz was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jordan Miller brought home Krider with a single to make the score 15-10 before J.J. Shimko greeted Eagle reliever Sterling Koerner with a base hit to left field to score Beaver and keep the bases loaded. Daniel Fickas brought home two more runs on a two-run double followed by an intentional walk to James Fowlkes to reload the bases. FGCU went back to the bullpen for Clint Knoblauch, who recorded the final two outs of the game on strikeouts to secure the win. 

The Eagles got on the board with two runs in the first inning as an Upstate error kept the inning alive, setting up a Tyler Selesky two-run single. Upstate got a run back the bottom half of the frame on a Fowlkes solo home run. FGCU scored three runs in their half of the second, only to have the Spartans answer with an Ortiz triple that scored Charlie Carpenter. Ortiz would score later in the inning on a wild pitch.

FGCU scored two runs in the top of the third on a Zach Orchard single and a Matt Reardon triple. Fickas led off the Spartan half of the inning with a single and advanced to second on a walk to Fowlkes. Jordan Ford brought Fickas and Fowlkes home with a single, followed by a Jake Beaver single that scored Carpenter. The Spartans would strand a pair of runners as the inning ended after a strikeout and groundout. 

The Eagles scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings for an 11-6 lead. Upstate scored three runs in the seventh on a Shimko base hit, a fielder's choice and a Cody Brittain single. FGCU added two runs in the seventh on a Selesky double and a Jay Hayes single. 

Fickas went 3-for-6 with two singles, a double, run scored and three RBI. Beaver went 3-for-5 with three singles, two runs scored and an RBI. Shimko finished 2-for-6 with two singles and two RBI. Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a single, triple, three runs scored and an RBI. Fowlkes finished 1-for-4 with a home run and RBI. Every Upstate batter finished with at least one hit as the Spartans smacked 16 total hits. 

Orchard led the FGCU offense as he went 5-for-6 with two doubles, three singles and three RBI. Reardon and Jake Noll each had four hits for the Eagles. Hayes drove in three runs.

Kenton Herring (1-1) earned the win, allowing three runs of four hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Knoblauch picked up his first save of the year with two strikeouts in 0.2 innings. Blake Whitney (0-4) took the loss as he allowed eight runs (four earned) on nine hits with one walk and one strikeout in 3.0 innings. 

Upstate returns to action on Friday at North Florida with a 6 p.m. first pitch. 

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