SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Opening an eight-game homestand, returning to Cleveland S. Harley Park following a two-game detour in the midweek, USC Upstate baseball captured a third consecutive weekend opening victory with a 9-3 margin Friday afternoon against Rider.
 
In a game tied entering the fifth inning, seeing Rider scratch a single run in both the first and third innings with Upstate responding in kind in the home halves of the frames, the Spartans took the lead for the first time in the fifth as they hung three runs on the board. Upstate tacked on three more in the seventh and again answered a Broncs run with another tally in the eighth.
 
On the mound, redshirt sophomore right-hander Noah Sullivan turned in a career-long outing as he tossed 7.0 innings on the afternoon. He registered his second quality start of the year, scattering five hits and two runs while striking out two. Out of the bullpen, senior left-hander Jagger Jefferis and junior right-hander Julian Parson tossed an inning apiece.
 
Backing Sullivan's start, for the sixth straight home game, the Spartans collected five or more extra-base hits as five of the team's 11 hits were doubles. Redshirt senior shortstop Troy Hamilton registered two of the Spartans' five doubles, reaching base four times. Turning in Upstate's other multi-hit game, redshirt senior centerfielder Daniel Gernon recorded three hits, also reaching four times, while scoring a team-high three runs.
 
In the run production department, four Spartans finished the game with multi-RBI games as redshirt sophomore third baseman Jake Armsey, redshirt junior Koby Kropf, junior leftfielder Jace Rinehart, and redshirt senior first baseman Grant Sherrod notched two RBI apiece.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 9; Rider 3
Records: USC Upstate (7-7; 0-0 Big South); Rider (1-7; 0-0 MAAC)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened

• T1: With runners on the corner, Rider's Brian Skettini drove home the game's first run with a sac fly to deep center.
• B1: Following leadoff doubles from Daniel Gernon and Troy Hamilton, Grant Sherrod answered the Broncs' run with an RBI groundout to short.
• T3: Using a pair of doubles down opposite foul lines, the Broncs retook the lead as Erich Hartmann doubled down the rightfield line.
• B3: Knotting the game for the second time, Sherrod drove in his second run with a sac fly to center.
• B5: After a pair of one-out free bases and a single from Sherrod loaded the bases, Jace Rinehart delivered Upstate the lead for the first time on the afternoon with a single into left-center, driving home two. Adding another tally as the bases loaded for a second time in the inning, Koby Kropf drove home his first run with a sac fly to right.
• B7: Putting another three runs on the board the Spartans' first tally came as David Pereira was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Jake Armsey added two more with a single into right-center to extend the Upstate lead.
• T8: Getting back a run, Skettini collected his second RBI of the day with a solo homer to left-center.
• B8: Seeing the bases loaded again, Kropf tallied another run batted in as he grounded out to first with Hamilton coming across to score.

 
Notable

• Collecting five doubles on the afternoon, Upstate tied its season high for two-baggers in a game this season, also hitting five doubles against Western Carolina on Feb. 21. The five doubles versus Rider also gives the Spartans five or more extra-base hits for the sixth straight home game.
• Singling in the seventh inning, Koby Kropf extended his hitting and reached base streaks to 10 games, the longest active streaks by a Spartan. His hitting and reached base streaks also tie the longest streaks by an Upstate player during the 2024 season.

 
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