Early Runs Boost Spartans Past Winthrop

Tuesday, February 20

Harley Park (ASUN.TV)

4 pm

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

2-2-1

Winthrop

0-4

Winthrop

USC Upstate

2/20/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – A five-run first inning got USC Upstate off to a fast start as the Spartans defeated Winthrop 9-5 in a non-conference game at Harley Park on Tuesday afternoon.

USC Upstate improves to 2-2-1 while Winthrop drops to 0-4.

Scoring Breakdown

Bottom 1^st – Andres Kim reached on a Winthrop error with a walk and a Charlie Carpenter single loading the bases. Kim scored on a Russell Schwertfeger infield single while another run scored due to a throwing error on the play. Following a groundout, Devon Ortiz hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat of the season to give the Spartans a 5-0 lead.
Top 4^th – Hunter Lipscomb reached on a leadoff single and scored on a Dillon Morton triple. Morton scored on a Matthew Mulkey double, with Mulkey scoring on a groundout.
Bottom 4^th – Austin Morgan led off the inning with a triple and scored on a Carpenter single.
Top 5^th – Jake Sullivan led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a Mitch Spires base hit. Sullivan scored on a sacrifice fly.
Top 6^th – Mulkey was hit by a pitch to start the inning, stole second, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Bottom 6^th – Pat Raiff opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Schwertfeger base hit with one out. After a wild pitch moved the runners up a base, Raiff scored on a Will Hardigree single. Schwertfeger would later score on a Kyle Gensler single.
Bottom 8^th – The Spartans added an insurance run on a Gensler two-out double that plated Schwertfeger.

Notables

Gensler went 2-for-4 with a single, double, two runs scored and two RBI.
Schwertfeger went 2-for-5 with two singles, three runs scored and an RBI.
Ortiz finished 2-for-5 with a single, home run and three RBI.
Morton and Scout McFalls each had two hits to lead Winthrop.
USC Upstate outhit Winthrop 11-9.
Sean Hupp (1-0) earned the win, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings of relief. Hupp didn't allow a run in his final three innings.
Jacob Thiessen allowed three runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout in 4.0 innings.
Daniel Willcutt (0-1) took the loss after he surrendered six runs, two earned, on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Up Next

USC Upstate will play three teams in three days this weekend. The Spartans host Seton Hall at 4 p.m. Friday followed by a matchup against Pittsburgh on Saturday at 4 p.m. A visit from Xavier at 1 p.m. on Sunday rounds out the weekend.

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