CLINTON, S.C. – USC Upstate baseball plated eight runs on eight hits in the first inning Tuesday afternoon to defeat Presbyterian College 11-8 on the road in a midweek Big South Conference matchup. With the win, the Spartans improve to 24-9 (15-9 BSC) this season and remain undefeated in midweek games under head coach Mike McGuire and his staff.
"We came in here and got the win, and that's the important thing. I really liked how we started offensively. It was a fast start and we got around the order for a big inning. We didn't play great defense today, but we pitched enough and our bats were enough to overcome that, and that's a good sign. Obviously I want to be good in all three phases every time we play, but I know that's not realistic, and we were good enough in two of those phases today to get the win," said Coach McGuire.
Eight different Spartans scattered 17 hits across the game, led by Devin Buckner and Noah Rabon who each had a season-high four hits after recording a pair each in the first inning alone. Buckner batted 4-for-5 with a double, a walk, two RBI, and a run scored, while Rabon finished his day 4-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored to extend his on-base streak to 24 games.
MacIntosh batted 3-for-5 with a run scored, and Robby McGaha and Damon Maynard each had a pair of RBI.
Sawyer Worrell got the start on the mound and tied his career-high of 6.0 innings pitched. After giving up a pair of solo homers in the first, Worrell settled down and retired the side in order in the second inning. He allowed just three earned runs and struck out two in his day of work.
Jake Cubbler entered in the bottom of the seventh with no outs and runners on first and second, and he got the Spartans out of the inning with the help of Julian Rip who, after a fly out to right, gunned down the runner tagging up and heading home. Cubbler went on to put the Blue Hose down in order in the eighth, and finished his 2.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts and just three hits and two runs allowed. Worrell and Cubbler neither one gave up a walk in the game. Kevin Davis entered in the bottom of the ninth to get the final two outs of the day.
Upstate got off to a hot start as Jack Hennessy was hit by the first pitch of the game, Buckner singled to left, and Rabon singled to shallow right to load the bases with no outs. Jack Gallagher came through with an RBI single through the left side for his 31st RBI of the season, which ranks in the top-4 of the conference.
McGaha then smoked a shot at the shortstop to knock in Buckner and Rabon, and MacIntosh singled to short to reload the bases with one out. Maynard drove in a pair with a chopper to short, and the Spartans batted around as Hennessy and Buckner each pushed across another run to make it 8-0 at the end of the top half of the first inning.
PC responded with a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the first, but Buckner extended Upstate's lead to 9-2 with an RBI double to right in the top of the third, which ended up being the lone extra-base hit for the Spartans on the day.
A Spartan error in the bottom of the fourth allowed the Blue Hose the chance for a three-run homer that would cut their deficit to 9-5, and PC added another run in the seventh with an RBI single to second base to make it a 9-6 ballgame. Upstate answered that with a sac fly from Jeff Taylor in the bottom of the eighth before Rabon ripped an RBI single up the middle in the ninth for an 11-6 Spartan lead.
PC threatened in the bottom of the ninth with a pair of runs and the bases loaded with two outs, but Davis got the strikeout to end the game.
UP Next for the Spartans
Upstate will host Big South Conference foe Longwood in a three-game series this weekend, with the first pitch of the series scheduled for 6 p.m. EST on Friday, April 23. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m. as part of the Super Spartan Spring Weekend.
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.
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