CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Returning to midweek action for the first time as the month of May begins, USC Upstate baseball closed its season series with Western Carolina with a second double-digit scoring output against the Catamounts, securing a 13-7 victory Wednesday afternoon at Childress Field at Hennon Stadium.
 
Answering a pair of Catamount runs in the second with three in the subsequent half inning, Upstate took control at the plate, outscoring Western Carolina 13-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, following the Catamounts' opening tallies. The Spartans plated three in the third before scoring in five straight innings to close the game, scoring 10-plus runs for the 16^th time this season.
 
Coming on in the second inning, senior left-hander Jagger Jefferis put forth a career-best outing as he recorded his fourth victory of the season behind a career-high 4.1 innings of work. He struck out a career-best six in his outing, combining to strike out 10 over 8.1 innings pitched against Western Carolina this season.
 
Backing the strong outing from Jefferis, four Spartans finished the night with multi-hit games led by reigning Big South Player of the Week, redshirt junior rightfielder Koby Kropf who recorded four hits with a pair of doubles and a home run—homering for the fourth straight game and finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Freshman catcher Tyler Lang registered his first career multi-hit game, recording three hits on the night while driving home three.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 13; Western Carolina 7
Records: USC Upstate (29-16; 13-5 Big South); Western Carolina (23-19; 8-7 SoCon)
Location: Childress Field at Hennon Stadium | Cullowhee, N.C.
 
How It Happened

• B2: Putting the Catamounts on the board first, Western Carolina's Mason Holton hit a two-run home run to the left of the batter's eye in center.
• T3: Answering Western Carolina's runs in the previous half inning, Upstate responded with three tallies in the third. Following a Noah Sullivan double off the wall in left-center, Grant Sherrod went against the grain of the shift to plate the first run. With two runners in scoring position after a Koby Kropf double into the rightfield corner, a wild pitch and nubber to first from Troy Hamilton led to the final two runs of the frame.
• T5: Adding to its advantage, Upstate tacked on a trio of insurance runs in the fifth, benefitting from a throwing error on a sacrifice attempt, a wild pitch, and a sac fly. A leadoff double from Sherrod and infield single from Kropf put two on ahead of a sac bunt try from Hamilton when the throw to third leaked its way up the rightfield line, leading to the first tally. A wild pitch scored Sherrod before Tyler Lang drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly to center.
• B5: Getting a run back, the Catamounts scratched a single tally in the fifth behind an RBI single into center from Zach Ketterman.
• T6: For the third time in the game, Upstate hung a three-spot on the scoreboard, answering the Catamount run in the prior half inning. The Spartans benefit from multiple Western Carolina wild pitches, scoring a third run behind a wild pitch to open the inning's scoring. Sherrod added another run batted in with a groundout to third ahead of Kropf's 17^th homer of the year, a solo shot to left-centerfield.
• T7: Tacking on an additional run, the Spartans scored their 10^th run of the game behind a bases-loaded walk issued to Sullivan—his fifth time reaching on the day.
• T8: Scoring in a similar fashion to its previous tally, Upstate recorded another run on a bases-loaded walk to Sullivan.
• T9: Scoring for the fifth straight inning, the Spartans plated two additional runs as Tyler Lang punched a single through the right side of the infield.
• B9: Closing the night's scoring, Western Carolina added four as Ketterman hit a grand slam to right.

 
Notable

• Hitting his 17^th home run of the season, Koby Kropf homered for the fourth consecutive game, the longest streak by a Spartan this season. His fourth straight contest with a homer breaks a tie with Noah Sullivan (April 9; April 12; and April 13) for the most consecutive games with a homer in 2024.
• Working 4.1 innings in relief Wednesday, Jagger Jefferis tossed his career-long outing, coming an outing after tying his longest outing last Sunday at Presbyterian. He struck out a career-best six hitters against the Catamounts, giving him 10 punchouts in 8.1 innings of work against Western Carolina this season.
• Picking up three hits on the night, Tyler Lang recorded his first career multi-hit game Wednesday. His third hit of the night drove home a pair, giving him his third multi-RBI game during his inaugural Upstate campaign.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Following a four-game road swing, Upstate returns home for a three-game Big South series versus High Point. The Spartans host the Panthers Friday at 5 p.m. ET, Saturday at 4 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. with Sunday's game also featuring Senior Day celebrations pregame.
 
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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