Koby Kropf HR 2nd AB vs. Presbyterian Gm 2 2024
Ryan Frye
5
Winner USC Upstate UPST 28-15
3
Presbyterian PC 21-22
Winner
USC Upstate UPST
28-15
5
Final
3
Presbyterian PC
21-22
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
USC Upstate UPST 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 5 10 1
Presbyterian PC 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 9 2

W: Hodgdon, Trent (1-1) L: HOLLISTER, S (1-2) S: Kuskie, Darin (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Koby Kropf's Career Day Featuring Five-Hit Day and His 15th Home Run of the Season Lead Upstate to 5-3 Series-Evening Win at Presbyterian

CLINTON, S.C. – In a game that followed a similar fashion to Friday night's series opener, USC Upstate baseball continued its fight in the series against Presbyterian, evening things at a game apiece as it captured a 5-3 victory Saturday afternoon behind another three-run seventh inning at the PC Baseball Complex.
 
As was the case in game one of the series, Presbyterian put itself on the board first via a solo home run, doing so in the third inning Saturday. The Spartans, like in Friday's contest, answered with runs in the fourth frame, staking a one-run lead before the Blue Hose tied the game in the fifth. Whereas redshirt senior catcher David Pereira tied the contest in game one with RBI in the seventh inning, Saturday his RBI delivered Upstate the lead, inciting a second three-run seventh in the series as the Spartans held in the ninth—surrendering a lone run—to claim the 5-3 win.
 
Leading the Spartans at the plate, redshirt junior rightfielder Koby Kropf put forth a career day, finishing the afternoon a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, claiming his first and the program's 17th of the Division I era (2007-pres.) five-plus hit game. Of his five hits, one went for extra-bases, his 15th home run of the season, tying the D1 era's single-season mark as he tied the game at one with a solo shot off the scoreboard in left-center in the fourth inning.
 
Giving Upstate the lead with a bunt single as he employed the squeeze with two runners in scoring position later in the fourth inning, redshirt sophomore second baseman Jake Armsey picked up the first of his two hits in the game and his lone RBI. The aforementioned Pereira recorded the Spartan's final RBI with a walk in the seventh.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 5; Presbyterian 3
Records: USC Upstate (28-15; 13-4 Big South); Presbyterian (21-22; 11-6 Big South)
Location: PC Baseball Complex | Clinton, S.C.
 
How It Happened
  • B3: Opening the day's scoring, Eli Lazio hit a solo homer off the leftfield foul pole, giving Presbyterian the early 1-0 advantage.
  • T4: Seeing the Blue Hose's home run and raising it with one of its own, Koby Kropf tied the game with a solo blast off the scoreboard in left-center. Upstate added another run in the inning as Jake Armsey recorded a bunt single off a squeeze down the third base line, scoring Daniel Gernon.
  • B5: The Blue Hose battled back to knot the game in the fifth, evening the game behind a Brody Fahr single to leftfield.
  • T7: Putting a three-spot on the board in the seventh for the second straight day, Upstate retook the lead in the frame. Adding another seventh-inning RBI in the series, David Pereira worked a bases-loaded walk to start the scoring before a wild pitch and subsequent throwing error during the following at-bat tacked on two more.
  • B9: Plating the game's final tally, Joel Dragoo drew a walk with the bases loaded for Presbyterian.
 
Notable
  • Recording his first career five-hit game, Koby Kropf becomes the third Spartan in 2024 with a game featuring five or more hits, joining Jace Rinehart (Feb. 25 vs. Saint Joseph's [five hits]) and Grant Sherrod (Feb. 21 vs. Western Carolina [five hits] & March 22 vs. Radford [six hits]). The three Spartans with a five-plus hit game this season are the most in a single season in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.).
  • Homering for the second straight game, Kropf hit his team and Big South-leading 15th home run of the season. The blast also tied the program's D1-era single-season home run record, equaling him with Sherrod (15 in 2023) and Noah Sullivan (15 in 2024) for the mark.
 
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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