Troy Hamilton Walk-Off HR 5th AB vs. Tennessee Tech Gm 2 2024
Emily Rangel
7
Tennessee Tech TTU 10-7
8
Winner USC Upstate UPST 11-7
Tennessee Tech TTU
10-7
7
Final
8
USC Upstate UPST
11-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Tennessee Tech TTU 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 7 9 0
USC Upstate UPST 1 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 8 12 1

W: Ellingworth, Cooper (3-1) L: ERDMAN, Jack (1-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Troy Hamilton Sends Baseball Home with Second Straight Walk-Off Win Via Homer, Earning 8-7 Win and Series Sweep of Tennessee Tech

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Following a similar script to its midweek series opener, USC Upstate baseball completed a series sweep of Tennessee Tech and improved its season-long winning streak to five games as it accomplished something it hadn't done in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.), winning via a walk-off home run for the second straight game in an 8-7 decision Wednesday at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
 
Much like in the opener of the series, the Spartans found themselves trailing 4-2 into the fifth inning before battling back to take or regain the lead in the home half of six. Wednesday, Upstate did so as redshirt junior rightfielder Koby Kropf and redshirt senior centerfielder Daniel Gernon each hit two-run homers in the four-run frame, their sixth and second of the season, respectively.
 
For the second straight night, the game saw itself tied in the eighth inning as Wednesday, it was the Spartans' turn to tie the game with redshirt senior pinch hitter David Pereira doing so with a sac fly to center. Taking over on the mound in the ninth, freshman right-hander Cooper Ellingworth tossed a scoreless inning, following the lead of redshirt junior righty Jake Cubbler from the night before, and ended the ninth with a strikeout. Greeting a new pitcher, redshirt senior shortstop Troy Hamilton wasted little time as he drove the first pitch from the new arm to deep center, walking off the Golden Eagles for the second straight game.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 8; Tennessee Tech 7
Records: USC Upstate (11-7; 0-0 Big South); Tennessee Tech (10-7; 0-0 OVC)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
  • T1: Jumping out to an early advantage, Tennessee Tech scratched the first two runs of the afternoon as Tanner Shiver tripled into the rightfield corner to chase home two. He'd later score in the frame on a fielding error off a pickoff attempt to first with runners on the corners, staking the visitors to a 3-0 lead.
  • B1: Upstate began chipping away at the deficit, scoring in the first inning for the fifth straight game as Jace Rinehart dumped a single down the line in right, scoring Grant Sherrod who doubled earlier in the inning.
  • B2: Using a pair of two-out singles, the Spartans tacked another tally to the board with Troy Hamilton delivering the run batted in, placing a single down the rightfield line.
  • T3: Getting back the run surrendered in the previous half inning, Tennessee Tech ground into a double play with the bases loaded as a run came home to score.
  • B6: Tying the game and staking itself a lead for the first time in the game, Upstate slugged a pair of two-run homers in the frame. The first from Koby Kropf knotted the game at four before Daniel Gernon's blast put the Spartans ahead.
  • T7: Answering the Spartans and swinging the momentum back in their favor, the Golden Eagles put three on the board behind a home run to straightaway center from Hayden Gilliland.
  • B8: Following a leadoff double from Easton Cullison, Upstate used a pair of fly balls to tie the game. Cullison moved 90 feet from scoring, tagging up and advancing on a lineout to left before tagging and scoring on a deep fly ball to left-center off the bat of pinch hitter David Pereira.
  • B9: Greeting a new Tennessee Tech arm, Hamilton recorded his second RBI of the night as he slugged a solo shot to center, sending Upstate with its second consecutive walk-off win.
 
Notable
  • With the team's latest walk-off home run, Upstate has won consecutive games via a walk-off homer for the first time in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.). The back-to-back walk-off wins are the first in consecutive games for the Spartans since May 7 and May 10, 2017, when Upstate walked off North Florida and Wofford.
  • Picking up a pair of hits Wednesday, Koby Kropf pushed his team-leading hitting and reached base streaks to 14 games. Kropf and Noah Sullivan (11 games) each extended their streaks against the Golden Eagles while being joined in holding a double-digit reached base streak by Grant Sherrod (10 games).
 
Up Next for the Spartans
Concluding the team's eight-game homestand at Cleveland S. Harley Park, Upstate opens the 2024 Big South Conference slate, welcoming Gardner-Webb for a three-game weekend set. The Spartans and Runnin' Bulldogs are set for first pitch times of 3 p.m. ET Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics 
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans 
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans 
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
Print Friendly Version