SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In a battle of the Spartans to open the 2023 OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic, the Spartans of USC Upstate baseball fell on the wrong side of the decision Friday night, dropping their first game of the season in a 13-6 setback against Michigan State at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
Upstate jumped out early as redshirt junior leftfielder
Daniel Gernon picked up his first of four hits on the day with a double to left-center in the bottom of the first to drive home the first run. Going 4-for-4 while driving home a run and scoring two more, his four hits are a career-high and secure his second multi-hit game of the year. With a 3-for-4 day, redshirt junior second baseman
Noah Rabon collected the Spartans' other multi-hit effort.
Despite scoring in the first, Michigan State battled back and took the lead for good in the third, scoring four runs in the frame. Upstate, however, would pull within a run in the sixth as redshirt junior rightfielder
Grant Sherrod hit his second career homer, unloading the baseball with the bases juiced as his grand slam gave him a career-high four RBI on the afternoon.
Game Information
Score: Michigan State 13; USC Upstate 6
Records: USC Upstate (5-1; 0-0 Big South); Michigan State (4-1; 0-0 Big 10)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
Scoring Summary
- B1: Following up a leadoff walk to Troy Hamilton, Daniel Gernon doubled to left-center as Hamilton came around to score from first and put Upstate on the board.
- T3: With a pair of singles preceded by an Upstate error to load the bases, Michigan State's Trent Farquhar split the left-center gap with a bases-clearing double to give MSU the lead. The Spartans added another run as Farquhar scored on a groundout to the right side, giving Michigan State a 4-1 lead.
- T4: Using two RBI doubles in the fourth inning, Michigan State tacked on two additional runs to its advantage, extending the lead to 6-1.
- B6: Loading the bases with a single from Gernon, a double from Noah Rabon, and a walk to Cole Caruso, Upstate hung four runs on the scoreboard thanks to a no-doubt grand slam off the bat of Grant Sherrod as the Spartans pulled within one run.
- T7: Sending 10 men to the plate and taking advantage of three Upstate walks and collecting four hits, Michigan State got back the four runs it surrendered in the previous inning and then some, scoring five runs in the frame.
- B7: Collecting his fourth hit of the game and getting into scoring position via a wild pitch, Gernon scored from second base on an RBI single into leftfield from Rabon.
- T8: With runners at first and third, Michigan State added another tally off a comebacker back to the mound that saw Upstate attempt to turn two as the runner scored from third.
- T9: Using a pair of one-out hits, Farquhar recorded his fourth RBI of the game with a double to right-center to plate the final run and cap the game's scoring.
Notable
- Hitting his second career home run, Grant Sherrod hit the Spartans' first grand slam since April 9, 2022, when Devin Buckner hit a grand slam at Campbell. The four RBI he recorded mark a career-high, surpassing his three RBI game versus Charleston Southern on April 15, 2022.
- Picking up a hit in each of his at-bats against Michigan State, Daniel Gernon collected a career-high four hits Friday. His hit total marks the most for him in a collegiate game—including his time at Lower Columbia College—and tie for the most by a Spartan in a game this season.
- Tossing the final two innings of the afternoon, Caleb Costa made his USC Upstate debut, striking out two in his first inning of work. Also making his Spartan debut Friday was Jake Armsey who pinch-hit in the ninth. With their appearances, Armsey and Costa are the 17th and 18th Spartans to make their debut in 2023.
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