RADFORD, Va. – Looking to capture a second straight series victory to open Big South Conference play, USC Upstate baseball saw its comeback attempt come up short as the tying run was cut down at the plate in the ninth inning in the Spartans' first setback during league play, a 5-4 decision Saturday afternoon against Radford at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium.
 
Despite seeing the Highlanders capture the lead first, taking their first lead of the series, with a run in the second inning, the Spartans, as it did in game one, immediately responded with multiple runs, plating three in the following half inning. Radford, however, countered with three runs of its own in the home half of the inning to retake the lead, adding an insurance run in the fourth before Upstate set up its comeback attempt.
 
The Spartans, against a new Highlander pitcher, began the ninth inning with a pair of infield hits before a double steal put two men in scoring position. A sacrifice fly from redshirt senior first baseman Grant Sherrod cut into the Radford lead—Sherrod's seventh RBI of the series—as Upstate trailed by one with one out. The Spartans sought a second straight sacrifice fly with the next batter to the plate, but a good throw from the Highlander rightfielder cut down the potential tying run at the plate to end the rally and the game.
 
Putting the Spartans in position to attempt the comeback in the late innings, redshirt junior right-hander Jake Cubbler came out of the bullpen and tossed 4.0 scoreless innings, permitting just three total baserunners. He opened his outing by striking out the side in the fifth before pushing his strikeout total to six at the conclusion of his outing.
 
For just the third time this season, Upstate finished a game without an extra-base hit, but unlike the previous two occasions, the Spartans collected double-figure hits, finishing with 12 on the day. Of the team's 12 hits, six were infield singles while a combined six were recorded by redshirt senior centerfielder Daniel Gernon and redshirt sophomore shortstop Troy Hamilton who registered three apiece.
 
Game Information
Score: Radford 5; USC Upstate 4
Records: USC Upstate (15-9; 4-1 Big South); Radford (8-13; 1-1 Big South)
Location: Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium | Radford, Va.
 
How It Happened

• B2: Taking advantage of a pair of walks to open the inning, Radford grabbed the lead for the first time in the series as Brady Whitacre drove home a run with a single into left.
• T3: Trailing for the first time on the weekend, Upstate provided an immediate answer as it saw the first three hitters of the next half inning reach base. With one out, the Spartans plated three runs as Noah Sullivan and Koby Kropf drove home runs with singles before Jace Rinehart's sac fly wrapped the frame's scoring.
• B3: Answering the Spartans' three-spot, the Highlanders responded with a three-spot of its own as the first three batters in the inning reached and scored. Zack Whitacre drove home the first two runs with a triple that split the gap in left-center before coming in to score on a sac fly to deliver a one-run advantage.
• B4: Using a pair of two-out hits, Radford added an insurance run as Cameron Pittman raced home on a double off the base of the wall in left from Hunter Keen.
• T9: Greeting a new Highlander pitcher, Daniel Gernon and Troy Hamilton beat out a pair of infield singles to put two runners on with no outs. Following a double steal to put two runners in scoring position, Grant Sherrod drove in a run with a sac fly to deep right-center, pulling the Spartans' within one. Seeking a second consecutive sac fly, the tying run was cut down at the plate to end the Upstate threat and the game.

 
Notable

• With his six strikeouts Saturday, Jake Cubbler is the first Upstate reliever with multiple games of six-plus strikeouts when pitching in relief this season. His third game of the 2024 campaign with five or more punchouts ties him with Noah Sullivan for the most by an Upstate pitcher this season.
• Each recording a three-hit game, Daniel Gernon and Troy Hamilton collected their 10^th multi-hit games of the season, joining Jace Rinehart (11) as the lone Spartans with double-figure multi-hit games this season.
• Reaching base twice in game two of the series with Radford, Koby Kropf pushed his reached base streak to 20 games, the lone streak of greater than 20 games by a Spartan this season. His streak is the longest by an Upstate player since Cole Caruso closed the 2023 season by reaching base safely in the final 22 games of the year.

 
Tickets on Sale for Sparty's Ball – Saturday, May 18
Support USC Upstate Athletics at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraiser of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund. The UAF impacts current and future generations of Spartans, developing champions on the field, building scholars in the classroom, and preparing leaders for life. Presented by the Sports Medicine Institute, a division of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Sparty's Ball features live and silent auction items, delicious food from Cribbs Catering, beverages, and live entertainment from Under the Sun, and held at a new location, Indigo Hall in downtown Spartanburg. Come dressed in your Spartan best—cocktail attire is required. For details and tickets, log onto www.upstatespartans.com/spartysball.

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