SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Looking to avenge its first defeat of the season and earn a split in the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic heading into the event's final day, USC Upstate baseball dropped its second straight decision in the event, falling 11-3 Saturday afternoon against Toledo at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
In spite of scattering 11 hits, reaching double-digit hits for the third time in four games, Upstate couldn't string its hits together to take advantage of multiple instances with runners in scoring position. Continuing a strong start to the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic, redshirt junior rightfielder
Grant Sherrod followed up his career-high four RBI in Friday's game with a career-best four hits Saturday, going 4-for-5 for the Spartans.
With the other multi-hit game for a Spartan, redshirt junior centerfield
Daniel Gernon collected three hits in four trips to the plate, adding to his 4-for-4 day yesterday, giving him three multi-hit efforts on the season. Atop the batting order, redshirt junior shortstop
Troy Hamilton collected his second multi-RBI game of the year, driving in two of Upstate's three runs.
Game Information
Score: Toledo 11; USC Upstate 3
Records: USC Upstate (5-2; 0-0 Big South); Toledo (2-3; 0-0 MAC)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
Scoring Summary
- B2: Jumping ahead for the second time in two games during the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic, Upstate took advantage of three Toledo walks and a base hit, to plate the game's first run. Noah Sullivan and Cole Caruso opened the inning with walks before a Grant Sherrod single loaded the bases for Ty Tilson who walked to bring home the run.
- T4: Tying the ballgame, Toledo's Owen Jackson homered to right-center before back-to-back two-out hits from Brayden White and Brian Fry preceded the Rockets' second tally of the frame. A wild pitch allowed Fry to score and deliver Toledo the lead before Daunte DeCello single to left to plate Fry.
- B4: Seeing Tilson advance 90 feet from home via a wild pitch during his at-bat, Troy Hamilton got back one of Upstate's surrendered runs with a single back through the middle, cutting the deficit in half.
- T6: Getting its run back, Toledo took advantage of three walks in the inning to score its first run, coming in via a bases-loaded free pass. A single into center by Jeron Williams drove home two additional runs before a wild pitch plated a fourth. The final two runs in a six-run frame came off a Garret Pike homer.
- T7: Adding to its lead, Toledo drove home its 10th run of the afternoon in the seventh as Fry doubled into the right-center gap to extend the lead.
- T8: Earning a free base, advancing to second on a throwing error, and stealing third, Williams raced home to score on a wild pitch, ending the scoring for the Rockets.
- B8: Following up a walk to Al Holguin and a double down the rightfield line by Johnny Sweeney, Hamilton drove in his second run on a groundout to short.
Notable
- Continuing his hot start to the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic, Grant Sherrod notched a career-high four hits Friday after collecting a career-best four RBI Friday. The game marked his second multi-hit effort of the season and the sixth of his Upstate career. Since earning his first start in game one at North Florida, he's fashioned a four-game hitting streak with at least a hit in each start this season.
- Another Spartan off to a strong start to the weekend, Daniel Gernon has picked up seven hits in eight at-bats this weekend, collecting three more Saturday for his third multi-hit game in an Upstate uniform. He leads Upstate with 11 hits on the season and upped his batting average to .550 through seven games.
- Coming on to pitch for the first time this season, freshmen right-handers Braden Consaul and James Strohbusch each made their Upstate debuts. Appearing as a defensive replacement, freshman catcher Jack Austin also made his Spartan debut. The trio marks the 19th, 20th, and 21st Spartans to debut this season.
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