ROCK HILL, S.C. – Looking to close out a three-game sweep and improve its Big South Conference winning streak to six games, USC Upstate baseball finished its second consecutive series sweep behind its third shutout of the season as the Spartans downed Winthrop with a 4-0 decision Sunday at The Winthrop Ballpark.
Combining to allow just one hit—the fewest allowed in a game by a Spartan pitching staff in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.)—sophomore right-hander
Mathieu Curtis and freshman righty
Cooper Ellingworth combined for the shutout, the second of Curtis' career and the first of Ellingworth's career. The duo combined to permit three baserunners and strikeout 12 as both pitchers put forth career-high strikeout totals, Curtis with eight and Ellingworth with four.
Offensively, freshman third baseman
Vance Sheahan recorded his third career multi-RBI game as he drove in the Spartans' final two runs with a single through a drawn-in infield in the fifth inning—the third time such a hit had produced two runs for Upstate during the series. Doing so for the 16
th time this season, junior leftfielder
Jace Rinehart recorded the Spartans' lone multi-hit game, picking up a pair on the day.
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 4; Winthrop 0
Records: USC Upstate (21-12; 10-2 Big South); Winthrop (12-17-1; 4-5 Big South)
Location: The Winthrop Ballpark | Rock Hill, S.C.
How It Happened
- T1: Putting itself on the board in the first inning for the second straight game, Upstate tallied a single run in the first as Noah Sullivan ripped a single through six-hole to drive home Daniel Gernon from second base.
- T3: Using another multi-hit inning, the Spartans added a second tally as Koby Kropf singled through the left side, plating Jace Rinehart from second.
- T5: For the third time in the series, Upstate produced a pair of runs by punching a single through a drawn-in infield as Vance Sheahan singled through the middle, plating a pair following three consecutive HBP.
Notable
- Behind its 4-0 win Sunday against Winthrop, Upstate recorded the program's 37th shutout of the Division I era (2007-pres.) with the team's third shutout of the year. With three shutouts in 2024, the Spartans have recorded three-plus shutouts in back-to-back seasons.
- Recording eight strikeouts, Mathieu Curtis becomes the fourth Spartan pitcher during the 2024 season to register eight or more strikeouts in a game. He joins Jake Cubbler (eight versus Kentucky on Feb. 17), Henry Proger (10 versus Rider on March 10), and Darin Kuskie (eight versus Tennessee Tech on March 12).
- Earning his second career save, Cooper Ellingworth recorded the first Upstate save of greater than 3.0 innings since Chase Matheny recorded a save over 3.2 innings against Longwood on May 6, 2022.
Up Next for the Spartans
Coming off the team's three-game set at Winthrop, Upstate remains on the road during the midweek, closing out its three-game midweek series with Clemson. The Spartans travel to face the No. 2 Tigers Tuesday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ET.
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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