SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Competing with its back against the wall for much of the night, USC Upstate baseball showed its grit as it battled its way back from a deficit as large as five runs to earn the club's fourth walk-off win of the year, capturing a series victory in baseball's version of the Ingles I-26 Rivalry Series behind a 10-9 win Friday evening at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
 
After falling down five runs following the opening half inning, Upstate didn't wither as it continued to chip away throughout the night, putting up multiple runs in an inning on four occasions, including a pair in the ninth to earn the victory. The Spartans' second run in the ninth—the winning run—provided Upstate its lone lead of the night, coming with two outs as junior leftfielder Jace Rinehart was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
Spurring the team's comeback, Upstate slugged another three home runs in game two against the Bulldogs, surpassing the program's single-season D1 era record for team home runs as the third of the night proved the 54^th of the 2024 season for the Spartans. Giving the Spartans a player with a multi-homer game for the second time in two games during the series—just the second time in the program's D1 era with a two-homer game in back-to-back games (March 29-30, 2019)—as redshirt senior first baseman Grant Sherrod hit a pair of historic long balls.
 
Sherrod's first homer, a three-run shot to right, put the Spartans on the board for the first time Friday and stood as the 24^th of Sherrod's career, breaking a tie with Charlie Carpenter for the program's D1 era career home run record. His second of the night, a shot to straightaway centerfield, marked the team's 54^th of the year and the 25^th of his career.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 10; UNC Asheville 9
Records: USC Upstate (17-11; 6-2 Big South); UNC Asheville (11-14; 1-4 Big South)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened

• T1: Jumping out early, UNC Asheville clubbed a pair of homers, a three-run and two-run shot, as it plated five runs in the inning as the first five batters to the plate reached and scored.
• B3: Coming after a pair of walks to begin the inning, Grant Sherrod drove home three with his first long ball of the night, driving one out of the yard with an opposite-field line drive.
• T4: Seeing each of the first two batters reach base to begin the inning and being moved into scoring position with a sac bunt, the Bulldogs answered Upstate's three-spot with a pair of runs. Ty Kaufman drove in the first with a single into right-center before a Robbie Burnett sac fly brought home the other.
• B5: Using a pair of extra-base hits to begin the frame, the Spartans hung two more on the board in the fifth as Noah Sullivan slugged a no-doubt blast to left.
• B6: Becoming the first team to score consecutively and score in consecutive innings, Upstate added another tally in the sixth off a solo homer from Sherrod—his second of the night.
• T7: With three hits in the inning, UNC Asheville added an extra run of cushion to its lead with a Ben Hemphill single driving home the run.
• B7: Battling back to tie the game, Upstate plated a pair of runs in the eighth on what proved the wildest play of the night. The Spartans scored the first of the two runs that scored on the play as Daniel Gernon beat out a swinging bunt back to the mound to drive home the first. Attempting to retire Gernon at first, the pitcher threw wide of the bag and down the rightfield line as a second run scampered home to tie the game at eight.
• T8: Pushing the Bulldogs back ahead, Burnett hit an opposite-field homer of his own, exiting the yard to left.
• B9: Stepping to the plate with two on and one out, Gernon drove home another tally as he ripped a single through the left side of the infield, sending David Pereira home from second. Following Gernon's RBI, Upstate saw a pair of HBP follow, loading the bases before pushing across the winning tally as Jace Rinehart drew the HBP that earned the winning run.

 
Notable

• Hitting a pair of home runs Friday, Grant Sherrod moved past Charlie Carpenter for sole possession of the Spartans' Division I era (2007-pres.) career home run record with his 24^th and 25^th long balls of the year. Friday's game also stands as his second career multi-home run game and Upstate's seventh of the 2024 season—the most in any season in the D1 era.
• Slugging three home runs in game two against UNC Asheville, Upstate pushed its season home run total to 54, surpassing last season's total of 53 for the program's single-season D1 era team record. The total comes in just 28 games as the Spartans have hit multiple homers in 19 games in 2024.
• Upstate's walk-off win against the Bulldogs marks the fourth of the season for the Spartans and the team's first since walking off Tennessee Tech on March 13. The total is the most in a single-season for the club since earning eight walk-off wins in 2017 and ties for the second-most in a single season in the D1 era—tied with the 2014 campaign.

 
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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