Koby Kropf Celebration 1st HR vs. Queens 2024
Emma Hudson
5
Queens QUEENS 10-26
8
Winner USC Upstate UPST 25-13
Queens QUEENS
10-26
5
Final
8
USC Upstate UPST
25-13
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Queens QUEENS 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 5 8 1
USC Upstate UPST 0 0 0 2 0 0 6 0 X 8 9 0

W: Jefferis, Jagger (3-1) L: Johnny Joseph (1-2) S: Ellingworth, Cooper (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

A Career Day Galvanized by a Go-Ahead Grand Slam, Koby Kropf Homers Twice and Drives Home Six in 8-5 Midweek Win Over Queens

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Returning home to Cleveland S. Harley Park for the first time in eight games, USC Upstate baseball added another home victory to its season total—its 18th of the season—with a come-from-behind victory Tuesday evening, defeating Queens 8-5 behind a six-run seventh inning and the second career multi-home run game from redshirt junior rightfielder Koby Kropf.
 
Seeing Upstate trailing 2-0 heading into the home half of the fourth, Kropf launched his 11th homer of the season and first of the night with a two-run shot to left, tying the game. After the Spartans scored a pair of runs off a balk and wild pitch, he stepped to the plate following a Royals' pitching change and welcomed the new Queens' pitcher in grand fashion, launching the first pitch he saw to deep left-center for his second home run of the night, delivering Upstate the lead with a grand slam for the second consecutive midweek contest.
 
Recording all six of the Spartans' RBI Tuesday—Upstate's other two runs came via a balk and wild pitch—Kropf registered a career-high in the category, fashioning the team's fourth six-plus RBI game of the season, the third coming behind a pair of home runs. He also tied a career-high with three hits in the game, one of two Spartans recording a multi-hit game, joining a two-hit effort and 20th multi-hit game from junior leftfielder Jace Rinehart.
 
Coming on out of the bullpen, three Spartan pitchers, junior right-hander Trent Hodgdon, senior left-hander Jagger Jefferis, and freshman righty Cooper Ellingworth combined to strike out nine Royal batters. Ellingworth tossed a perfect 2.0 innings to close the game, earning his third save of the season.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 8; Queens 5
Records: USC Upstate (25-13; 10-2 Big South); Queens (10-26; 6-9 ASUN)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
  • T1: Opening the game with a double into right-center, Dillon Lewis came into score on a single through the left side from Nick Alderfer.
  • T3: Tacking on another run to its lead, Queens upped its advantage to two runs behind a solo homer to left-center from Matthew Corlew.
  • B4: Tying the game, Koby Kropf hit a two-run home run to leftfield, his first of the night, as Upstate put itself on the board for the first time.
  • T5: Regaining the lead, Jake Barbour hit the Royals second homer of the day, a two-run shot to right to deliver a second two-run advantage.
  • T6: Adding another run to build Queens' largest lead of the night, Zach Weston homered to left for the Royals third long ball of the night.
  • B7: Battling its way back, Upstate notched its 14th five-plus run inning of the season as it scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh. Loading the bases behind three HBP, the Spartans scored the first run of the frame on a balk before the second scored via a wild pitch. After reloading the bases behind a pair of walks, one intentional, Kropf greeted the new Royal pitcher by launching his first offering to deep left-center as his grand slam pushed Upstate's run total to eight and an 8-5 win.
 
Notable
  • Hitting a pair of home runs Tuesday, Koby Kropf registered Upstate's ninth multi-home run game of the season, his second of the season after doing so on March 3 versus Penn. He's the fourth Spartan with multiple multi-homer games this season, joining Jace Rinehart (three), Grant Sherrod (two), and Noah Sullivan (two).
  • Launching a grand slam for the second straight midweek game, Kropf is the first Spartan with multiple grand slams in the same season since Sherrod hit two during the 2023 season. His Tuesday grand slam marked Upstate's third of the season, following Tyler Lang (March 17 vs. Gardner-Webb) and himself (April 9 vs. Clemson).
  • Behind Kropf's two home runs Tuesday, Upstate pushed its season home run total to 70, reaching 70 or more homers for the fourth time in program history, reaching the plateau for the first time since 1990.
 
Up Next for the Spartans
Continuing a streak of weekend series against teams from the South Carolina Lowcountry, USC Upstate gets back to Big South Conference play this weekend, hosting Charleston Southern for a three-game set. The series opens Friday at 5 p.m. ET before continuing Saturday at 2 p.m. and concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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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