GREENVILLE, S.C. – A pair of freshmen commanded the mound and Devin Buckner dominated at the plate Wednesday night as USC Upstate took down Michigan State University 7-4 at Fluor Field. Buckner extended his hit streak to 10 games to help the Spartans improve to 10-3 so far this season.
Sawyer Worrell got the start on the mound today and struck out four MSU batters while giving up just one run on five hits and two walks in 3.2 innings of work. Reilly Kirkpatrick took over in the bottom of the fourth and went 4.1 innings with three strikeouts to pick up his first collegiate win. Kevin Davis entered in the bottom of the ninth with runners on first and second and fanned three straight batters to preserve Upstate's lead and record his second save of the season.
Upstate had eight hits as a team in the game, and half of those came from Buckner who hit 4-for-4 with a homerun, sac fly, and three RBI. Ben Olson drove in a pair of runs with a sac bunt and a double. Jack Gallagher also had an RBI double, and Julian Rip along with Jason Matthews each scored two runs while Matthews also drove in a run in the game.
SCORING BREAKDOWN
T3: Olson was hit by a pitch to lead off the third inning and made it to third on back-to-back groundouts from the Spartans. Matthews then got Upstate on the board with an RBI single to right before taking second base on a bad pickoff attempt by Michigan State. Buckner ripped a double down the right field line to drive in Matthews and give Upstate a 2-0 lead.
T4: Rip drew a walk before back-to-back doubles pushed Upstate's lead to 4-0. Gallagher sent Rip home with a double down the left field line, and then Olson rocked a shot off the green monster to drive in Gallagher.
T5: Buckner sent a solo shot over the left field wall for his first home run of the season to put the Spartans up 5-1.
T7: Matthews was hit by a pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on an errant throw by Michigan State's catcher to set Buckner up for a sac fly to right field for a 6-3 lead.
T8: Rip led off the inning with a double to left center and advanced to third on Gallagher's groundout to first before he scored on a squeeze by Olson.
Michigan State got a run back in the bottom of the ninth, but Upstate held on for the 7-4 win.
UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans return to Cleveland S. Harley Park this weekend for a matchup against Western Carolina on Friday at 4:00 p.m. before taking on Northwestern University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
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