SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Returning to the friendly confines of Cleveland S. Harley Park for the first time during Big South play, USC Upstate baseball backed a career-best pitching performance with 14 hits at the plate to earn a 6-1 series-opening victory over High Point to begin Homecoming Weekend Friday.
Collecting his second quality start of the season, senior right-hander
Jacob Curry turned in a career-long outing for the second straight start as he tossed 8.0 innings on 112 pitches while scattering five hits and allowing just six baserunners. He finished the evening with a career-high six strikeouts, also eclipsing his career-high strikeout total for the second consecutive outing.
For the fifth straight game, Upstate struck the opening blow, scoring in the first inning as freshman designated hitter
Noah Sullivan plated the first run with a single up the middle. The Spartans tacked on two runs in the third before adding two additional runs in the seventh to withstand a pair of High Point solo homers and a third Panther run in the ninth.
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 6; High Point 3
Records: USC Upstate (17-9; 6-1 Big South); High Point (9-17; 4-3 Big South)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
Scoring Summary
- B1: Opening the scoring and plating a run in the first inning for the fifth straight game, Upstate struck first as Noah Sullivan stung a ball into centerfield to score Devin Buckner from third as he advanced on a passed ball and wild pitch into scoring position.
- B3: Hitting with runners at first and second, Jeff Taylor pulled a ball through the right side to plate Sullivan from second with MacIntosh going first to third. MacIntosh came into score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Noah Rabon to give Upstate a 3-0 lead heading to the fourth.
- T4: High Point answered the Spartans' two-spot in the prior half-inning with a pair of runs as the Panthers' Cole Singsank and David Coleman hit back-to-back solo shots to pull within one.
- B5: Singling into center, stealing second, and advancing to third on a fly ball, Jeff Taylor raced in to score on a wild pitch in the fifth and extend the Spartans' advantage.
- B7: With Cole Caruso running on a 3-2 pitch, Troy Hamilton ripped a ball inside the third-base bag for a double into the leftfield corner as Caruso scored from first. Upstate plated its second run of the frame as Jack Hennessy collected his third hit of the game, a single into left-center to score Hamilton and build a 6-2 lead.
- T9: Pushing its final tally across in the ninth, the Panthers scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-3.
Notable
- Scoring in the first inning Friday night, Upstate has scored first and in the first inning in five straight games. Overall, this season, Upstate has scored in the first inning 13 times.
- Tossing 8.0 innings while surrendering five hits, two earned runs, and one walk while striking out a career-high six batters, Jacob Curry's outing marked the longest of his career. Friday's game also stands as his second consecutive start where he's posted a career-long outing with a career-best strikeout total.
- Collecting a multi-hit effort against High Point, Noah Sullivan recorded his team-leading 13th multi-hit effort Friday night. Troy Hamilton and Jeff Taylor tallied a multi-hit effort for the third and second straight game, respectively.
- With three hits Friday night, Jack Hennessy tied his season-high for hits in a game with his second three-hit game of the year.
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