SPARTANBURG, S.C. – USC Upstate baseball racked up 17 hits and two six-run innings in a 14-2 opening day win over the University of Toledo Friday evening at Harley Park. Jason Matthews led the Spartans at the plate on the day with three hits and five RBI, including a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Jordan Marks made his third consecutive opening day start for the Spartans and tossed six innings while allowing just one hit, no earned runs, no walks, and striking out nine Toledo batters. He sat the Rockets down in order in five of his six innings pitched to pick up the win.

Devin Buckner had a pair of standup doubles and two RBI on the night. Noah Rabon made his Upstate debut at third base and ripped a two-run homer over the right field wall in the bottom of the sixth. Jack Gallagher had a strong night with two hits and three runs.

A pair of freshman pitchers made their debuts in a Spartan uniform as Trey Miller came on in relief in the seventh and threw two innings with three hits, one run, and two strikeouts before Ethan McCarty stepped in to strike out two Toledo batters to close things out in the ninth.

Scoring Summary
B4 | Gallagher's leadoff single up the middle got things going in the bottom of the fourth and he made it to second on Brady Garrison's single to center before Chase Matheny drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Jack Hennessy singled to center to send Gallagher home and force a Toledo pitching change. Matthews then cleared the bases with a double to left center that put the Spartans up 4-0. Buckner's first double of the day plated Matthews, and Buckner gave Upstate a 6-0 lead when he crossed home on a misplayed grounder by Toledo's second baseman.

T5 | Trace Hatfield recorded Toledo's first hit of the night with a leadoff single to shortstop before making it to second on Matt Kirk's groundout to third. A failed pickoff attempt sent Hatfield to third and he made it home on another Spartan error.

B6 | Matthews drew a leadoff walk and stole second, setting Buckner up for another RBI standup double. Rabon then launched a two-run shot over the right field wall to push Upstate's lead to 9-1. Gallagher reached on another misplayed ball by Toledo's shortstop and made it to second on Cameron MacIntosh's single to right. After an RBI single from Garrison that scored Gallagher, Hennessy drew a walk and Matthews knocked in two runs with a single to right to put the Spartans up 12-1.

B7 | With two outs, Gallagher singled to right and later scored on an error by Toledo's second baseman. Matheny then knocked in MacIntosh with an RBI single to right.

T8 | The Rockets got one more run back in the top of the eighth as Mason Sykes doubled down the left field line and made it home on Nicky Winterstein's single to left.

UP Next for the Spartans
Game two against the Rockets is tomorrow, Saturday Feb. 20, at Harley Park. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.

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