SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Battling its way back to push a series it hadn't led in for more than half an inning to a deciding rubber match, USC Upstate baseball built upon its momentum from Saturday's walk-off, extra-inning home run as it took control from the outset Sunday in a wire-to-wire 11-1 victory at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
After stranding two baserunners in the top of the first inning, Upstate went to work as nine men came to the plate as part of a five-run first inning. Despite giving up a run in the third, the Spartans didn't waver, answering the run with two of its own in the inning before tacking on two additional runs in the fourth and the fifth to build the 11-1 advantage.
All nine starters for the Spartans reached base multiple times with six recording multi-hit efforts, including career-high-tying three-hit games from sophomore third baseman
Cole Caruso and redshirt sophomore leftfielder
Ty Tilson. Also collecting three hits on the day, sophomore designated hitter
Jace Rinehart picked up three hits and one of three multi-RBI games for Upstate, driving home a career-best four runs.
On the mound, freshman right-hander
Mathieu Curtis set the tone for the Upstate bats, tossing a career-long 6.1 innings while surrendering just four hits and one run while striking out three to earn his fifth victory of the year. Out of the bullpen, sophomore righty
Trent Hodgdon struck out three for the third time this season, pitching a season-long 1.2 innings before giving way to sophomore left-hander
Al Holguin who threw a clean ninth, striking out two.
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 11; Presbyterian 1
Records: USC Upstate (28-16; 14-4 Big South); Presbyterian (18-27; 9-12 Big South)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
Scoring Summary
- B1: With the bases loaded and one out, Jace Rinhart drove home the first two of his four RBI on the day as he hit a ball over the head of the centerfielder, plating two with a double to deep center. The Spartans tacked on as Easton Cullison bounced a ball back up the middle, scoring one before a throwing error allowed Cullison up to second and another run to score. The final run of a five-run frame came on a Ty Tilson RBI single through the left side.
- T3: Stepping to the plate with a man in scoring position, Presbyterian's Joel Dragoo knocked in the Blue Hose's lone run with a single into center.
- B3: Providing an answer to Presbyterian's run in the top half of the inning, David Pereira produced a two-run base hit, as he drove home a pair with a single through the left side.
- B4: Adding on to the Spartans' lead, Grant Sherrod hit a solo homer off the scoreboard in left-center, leaving the ballpark for the 11th time this season, tying the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) record for single-season home runs. Upstate added a second run as Tilson dropped an RBI single into center.
- B5: Securing Upstate's third straight two-run inning and completing his four-RBI day, Rinehart drove in the game's final runs with a single back through the middle.
Notable
- With his fourth-inning solo home run, Grant Sherrod tied the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) record with his 11th homer of the season. He tied Charlie Carpenter's mark set in 2017 as he also earned the D1 era's third double-digit homer season with his home run Friday night.
- Stealing two bases Sunday, Easton Cullison upped his season stolen base total to 16, tying Noah Rabon for the team lead in the category. As a team, Upstate stole four bases, improving their season total to 80 stolen bases, stealing 80-plus bags in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history and totaling the sixth 80-plus steal season for the program.
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