SPARTANBURG, S.C. – USC Upstate baseball was on the unfortunate end of a slug fest Sunday afternoon as Western Kentucky University pounded 16 hits and scored 10 unanswered runs in the last three innings as the Spartans dropped the series finale to the Hilltoppers 17-9.

Devin Buckner made it eight straight games with a hit on a single up the middle in the third inning, and the Spartans scattered nine hits as a team in the game. Jack Hennessy was the lone Spartan with a multi-hit effort, but it was a well-balanced effort as almost the entire starting lineup recorded a hit on the day.

Freshman Conner Todaro picked up his first collegiate hit with a pinch-hit single to left in the bottom of the ninth, and fellow rookie Braden Durham followed with pinch-hit single to left after that. Buckner and Ben Olson each drove in a pair of runs on the day.

Sean Hupp made his season debut with the start on the mound and rung up the first batter he faced this year. He went 3.2 innings with two strikeouts and just one run. The Spartans would throw five more arms from the bullpen before freshman Reilly Kirkpatrick made his Spartan debut to get Upstate out of the top of the ninth inning.

SCORING BREAKDOWN
B1: Upstate wasted no time getting on the board as Jason Matthews' leadoff single to left set Jeff Taylor up for an RBI triple down the right field line. Taylor then made it home on Buckner's groundout to short for a 2-0 lead.

B3: WKU got a run back with a solo homer in the top of the third, but the Spartans answered with three more runs in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Buckner and Cameron MacIntosh ripped back-to-back singles up the middle and Julian Rip doubled on a hard hit ball to third base to drive in Buckner. Mason Stewart walked, and then Olson hit a two-run double to center, scoring MacIntosh and Rip.

B6: WKU took the lead on a grandslam in the top of the sixth, but the Spartans matched those four runs in the bottom of the inning as the Hilltoppers walked in a run and then three Spartans scored on an errant throw to first by WKU's third baseman. Upstate led 9-7 after six, but it was all WKU after that for 10 unanswered runs to get the 17-9 win.

UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans are set for a pair of midweek matchups as they host The Citadel on Tuesday at Harley Park at 4:00 p.m. before facing Michigan State at Fluor Field on Wednesday.

Keep UP with the Spartans
Facebook (UpstateAthletics)
Twitter (@UpstateBSB)
Instagram (@UpstateBSB)
YouTube (USCUpstateAthletics)