Troy Hamilton First Inn. HR vs. Winthrop Gm 3 2023
Emily Rangel
5
Winner Winthrop WINTHROP 13-16, 2-7 BSC
3
USC Upstate UPST 18-11, 5-1 BSC
Winner
Winthrop WINTHROP
13-16, 2-7 BSC
5
Final
3
USC Upstate UPST
18-11, 5-1 BSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Winthrop WINTHROP 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 5 11 0
USC Upstate UPST 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 5 2

W: Whittle, Parker (4-1) L: Holguin, Al (2-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Troy Hamilton Hits Fifth Homer of the Season But Baseball Succumbs Late in Series Finale Versus Winthrop

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Going for its second straight series sweep to start Big South play, USC Upstate baseball battled, twice fighting back from deficits, before succumbing in the ninth inning to Winthrop in a 5-3 series finale Sunday at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
 
Surrendering a run in the top of the first, Upstate answered quickly by tying the game with a run of its own in the home half of the inning. After falling down a run in the third, the Spartans fought back to take the lead with two runs in the fifth, staking a 3-2 advantage. However, Winthrop scored three runs over the final two innings, including two with the game tied in the ninth, for the victory.
 
Five Spartans recorded a hit in Sunday's season finale with redshirt junior shortstop Troy Hamilton recording the team's lone extra-base hit with a solo home run down the leftfield line in the first inning. Hamilton and sophomore designated hitter Johnny Sweeney picked up Upstate's RBI with Sweeney recording his by drawing a walk with the bases loaded in the fifth.
 
Game Information
Score: Winthrop 5; USC Upstate 3
Records: USC Upstate (18-11; 5-1 Big South); Winthrop (13-16; 2-7 Big South)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
Scoring Summary
  • T1: Following a leadoff hit and stepping to the plate with two outs, Winthrop's Brody Hopkins drove home the game's first run for the second straight day, doing so with a double down the leftfield line.
  • B1: Providing an answer for the Spartans, Troy Hamilton drove a ball over the wall and around the leftfield foul pole, tying the game with his fifth homer of the year.
  • T3: Retaking the lead, the Eagles drove home their second run with another double, this time from Jonathan Strauss.
  • B5: Opening the inning earning four consecutive free bases, Upstate tied the game by taking advantage of a wild pitch as Kyle Henington came across to score. The Spartans added another run to take the lead as Johnny Sweeney earned the team's fifth free base of the inning, drawing a walk with the bases loaded.
  • T8: Sliding home safely ahead of a throw attempting to cut down the lead runner at the plate, McKinley Erves scored on a fielder's choice to tie the game for Winthrop.
  • T9: With the bases loaded, the Eagles scored two runs as an errant throw to first got away allowing a pair of runs to score, creating Winthrop's two-run advantage.
 
Notable
  • Despite falling in the series finale of its series with Winthrop, Upstate tied its best start to conference play during the team's Division I era (2007-pres.). The Spartans' 5-1 start in 2023 marks the program's third 5-1 start in league play in the D1 era, also doing so in 2012 and 2022.
  • With his solo homer in the first inning Sunday, Troy Hamilton improved his team-long reached base streak to 13 games. The streak is the lone active streak for a Spartan greater than 10 games.
 
Youth Baseball Field of Dreams Program
Bring your youth baseball team to meet the Spartans and take the field for the National Anthem at select games at Harley Park this season! The program is free and so is admission thanks to Ingles! For details and to sign up, go to www.upstatespartans.com/fieldofdreams
 
Connect with the Spartans 
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics 
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans 
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans 
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans 
Make a difference in the lives of USC Upstate student-athletes!  Donate to the USC Upstate U Club today!
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