SPARTANBURG, S.C. – USC Upstate bounced back on Sunday to take the series win against Gardner-Webb and move solely into first place in the Big South Conference standings, snapping a seven-game skid against the Runnin' Bulldogs dating back to 2017. After resuming a rain-suspended game in the top of the eighth inning down 7-4, the Spartans (21-7, 13-7 BSC) completely erased a 7-1 deficit with a three-run blast off the scoreboard from Noah Rabon for a 9-8 win. In the series finale, the Spartans scored 10 unanswered runs, eight of them in the fifth inning, to take a 13-2 win in seven innings.

"What a difference a day makes. I was disappointed with how we started yesterday and played the first seven innings of that ballgame, but I'm proud of how we responded today, picking up that game in the eighth inning down 7-4 and to answer the bell the way we did. So many guys had good at-bats, and then obviously Noah Rabon had the big homerun to win it. I thought we picked up where we left off in the last game of the series. We had good contribution up and down the lineup with a lot of big hits from different people. I really liked how we answered to win the series. It was a big deal for us," said head coach Mike McGuire.

The Spartans struggled defensively in Saturday's portion of game two in the series, committing a pair of errors in the first inning that led to a GWU run. Jason Matthews got Upstate on the board in the third with an RBI triple, but the Spartans would later find themselves down 6-1 after two more errors in the bottom of the fifth inning, and a GWU RBI double in the sixth pushed the Bulldogs' lead to 7-1. Upstate got a run back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single to center from Adam Grob.

Upstate showed some life in the seventh as the Runnin' Bulldogs went down in order in the top of the inning, and with two outs in the bottom of the inning, Jeff Taylor drove in two runs with a triple to cut Upstate's deficit to 7-4.

Jake Cubbler had just taken the mound when the game was suspended due to rain in the top of the eighth inning with no outs and runners on first and second. When the game resumed nearly 21 hours later, Cubbler immediately forced a 6-4-3 double play. GWU would plate another run in the inning, but Cubbler was able to get the Spartans out of the jam.

The Spartans tallied five runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, starting with an RBI single to left from Jason Matthews. Upstate then took advantage of a GWU error to score a run and get runners on the corners, which set Noah Rabon up for his three-run homer off the scoreboard to give the Spartans the 9-8 lead.

Cubbler and Kevin Davis combined to shut GWU down in the top of the ninth to complete the comeback victory for the Spartans. Cubbler was credited with the win to improve to 2-0 this season, and Davis picked up his fourth save of the year.

Upstate kept things going in the series finale as every Spartan recorded a hit, starting with Devin Buckner who extended his on-base streak to 16 games with a two-out double down the left field line in the first. Rabon extended his on-base streak to 19 games in the next at-bat when he reached on an error by the GWU shortstop.

The Spartans spouted off four straight singles in the second to get on the board as Julian Rip knocked in Brady Garrison with an RBI single to left. Matthews later drove in Grob with a sac fly to center, and then Upstate committed a double steal that included Rip stealing home to put the Spartans up 3-0.

The Runnin' Bulldogs plated a pair of runs as a result of an error by Rabon in the third, but that is the only damage GWU would muster up in the game, and the Spartans would respond with a pair of runs of their own off an error in the bottom of the inning.

Rabon launched his second homer of the day, a leadoff shot over the scoreboard, in the fifth inning, and after Gallagher reached on a dropped fly ball by the GWU right fielder in the next at-bat, the Spartans went on to bat around and score seven unearned runs in the inning. Gallagher made it home on a wild pitch, and then with two outs, Jack Hennessy dropped an RBI single in shallow left center to drive in Taylor. Hennessy swiped second and was knocked in on a double off the wall in left center from Matthews, and then Buckner plated Matthews with a single to center in the next at-bat to extend Upstate's lead to 11-2. Taylor rounded out the scoring for the day with a two-RBI single to right center.

Freshman Trey Miller got the start on the mound and went 4.1 innings with two strikeouts and allowed just three hits, no earned runs, and two walks. He put the Bulldogs down in order in the fourth before Sean Hupp took over in the fifth with one out and a runner on second. Hupp sat GWU in order in the seventh with seven straight strikes for a fly out and back-to-back strikeouts. He finished the game off with 2.2 hitless, scoreless innings with three punch outs to get the win and improve to 2-1 on the year.

UP Next for the Spartans
The Spartans head to cross-town rival Wofford on Tuesday, April 13 for a midweek matchup beginning at 6 p.m.

Spartans Win Today, You Save Tomorrow!
Save 50% off online orders at Papa John's locations across the Upstate. Use the code USCUP50 when placing online orders the day after Upstate victories. Also tomorrow, visit The Beacon Drive-In located in Spartanburg and show the win graphic posted to the @UpstateSpartans Instagram account to claim a free sweet tea as part of the "Sweet Taste of Victory" promotion. No purchase necessary.

JOIN UP
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes!  Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!

Keep UP with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateBSB @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateBSB @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans