HIGH POINT, N.C. – USC Upstate baseball tied a Division I program record for overall wins in a single season on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep over High Point. The Spartans took game one 12-9 and game two 10-5 for their 10th straight Big South win and third straight Big South series sweep to improve to 33-10 (24-9 BSC).
"It was a long but productive day at the ballpark today, and we did what we set out to accomplish. We came out here and got three wins in a big weekend on the road. It was a struggle for us at times on the mound a little bit, but seeing some guys gut through it made me proud of how far we've come along as a team over the course of the year and how much tougher we are, and how much grit we have versus where we were a month and a half ago. I think that's a sign of a veteran club that's getting better. I think our best baseball is yet to come, and that's what excites me about these upcoming weeks," said head coach Mike McGuire.
Cameron MacIntosh led the Spartans at the plate on the day, hitting .750 (6-for-8) with three RBI, five runs scored, and a stolen base. MacIntosh has recorded five three-hit games so far this season. Jason Matthews also had a strong day at the plate, hitting 4-for-8 with two RBI and three runs scored. Noah Rabon and Jack Hennessy each drove in four runs on the day.
With Kevin Davis' save in game one, he moved up a spot on the all-time record list for saves in a single season, tying Chris Fowler (1990) in the four spot with eight.
GAME ONE: Upstate 12, High Point 9
Alex Garbrick got the start on the mound and struck out three in 5.0 innings pitched to get credit for the win and improve to 7-2 this season. Trey Miller and Jake Cubbler each made an appearance before Davis took over in the ninth for the final three outs to pick up his eighth save of the season.
The Spartans got off to a hot start and took advantage of some free passes with seven runs off just four hits and five walks in the top of the second, six of those runs crossing with two outs. Matthews drew a leadoff walk and made it to second on Julian Rip's sac bunt, and then back-to-back walks for Jack Gallagher and Jeff Taylor loaded the bases to set MacIntosh up for an RBI single to center field. Hennessy then drew a walk with nowhere to go which put the Spartans up 2-0. After that, Rabon cleared the bases with a double to right center, and Devin Buckner walked before back-to-back RBI singles for Matthews and Rip pushed the lead to 7-0 as the Spartans batted around in the inning.
High Point responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second after leading off with back-to-back walks followed by a one-out RBI single. With runners on the corners, Brady Pearre was able to cross the plate on a passed ball to make it 7-2.
After a scoreless third, Hennessy drew his second walk of the day to lead off the top of the fourth and made it to second on a sac bunt from Buckner. Matthews then reached and Hennessy took third on a misplayed grounder by Travis Holt to get runners on the corners with two outs. Rip walked to load the bases, and Holt's second error of the inning led to two more runs for the Spartans for a 9-2 lead. Once again, High Point answered in the bottom of the inning as the leadoff batter reached on a Spartan error, took third on wild pitch, and scored the unearned run on a groundout to first.
Upstate added another pair of runs in the top of the fifth starting with Taylor's second walk of the day followed by MacIntosh's second single to center of the day. Damon Maynard pushed the runners to second and third on a sac bunt, and then Taylor scored on a wild pitch before Hennessy made it 11-3 with an RBI single through the left side. The Panthers continued to try and claw their way back into the game with a leadoff solo blast over the left field wall and an RBI double down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth, cutting their deficit down to 11-5.
After back-to-back singles up the middle in the top of the seventh, Rabon knocked in his fourth run of the game with a single to left to add to Upstate's lead, making it a 12-5 game. The Panthers continued to hang around, however, after a sac fly and a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth made it 12-8. High Point would add another run in the inning on an RBI single to MacIntosh who made the diving stop but couldn't get the throw off cleanly.
GAME TWO: Upstate 10, HPU 5
Ben Ferrer returned to the starting rotation for the first time since March 13 at Campbell and was able to throw 3.2 innings while giving up just two runs. Austin Morgan picked up the win as he entered in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and went 5.0 innings with four strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs to improve to 3-1.
It was another fast start for the Spartans who plated two runs in the top of the first inning. Hennessy wore a pitch to lead things off, and then Rabon reached on a fielding error by High Point's shortstop before both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Buckner took yet another walk to load the bases with no outs, and Matthews drove in the first run of the game with a sac fly to right. Rip then smoked one through the left side for an RBI single.
High Point cut its deficit in half with a solo two-out homer in the bottom of the second, but the Spartans padded their lead with four runs off four hits in the fourth inning. Matthews led off with a single to short and made it to second on a passed ball. High Point's pitcher bobbled a chopper from Rip allowing him to reach and Matthews to get to third, and then MacIntosh drilled a two-RBI single to center. He stole second and crossed the plate on an RBI single up the middle from Brady Garrison to make it 6-1.
High Point plated a single run in the fourth and fifth inning, but Hennessy countered that with a two-RBI single down the right field line in the top of the sixth to push Upstate's lead to 8-3.
The Spartans led off the eighth inning with back-to-back singles from Taylor and MacIntosh, and Garrison's second sac bunt of the game got both runners in scoring position. Taylor went on to score on a throwing error by the pitcher, and MacIntosh made it home on a wild pitch for the 10-3 lead.
High Point got a pair back in the bottom of the ninth, but Davis made his second appearance of the day to get the final out and secure the series sweep.
UP Next for the Spartans
The Spartans close out a five-game road stint next week with a midweek matchup at UNC Asheville on Tuesday, May 11. First pitch is scheduled for 5 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.
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