FARMVILLE, Va. – Opening the team's final Big South Conference weekend Friday, USC Upstate baseball began the week as the offense back strong pitching in an 8-1 series-opening victory Friday evening over Longwood at Buddy Bolding Field.
 
Taking the ball as a starter for the first time as a Spartan—and the fourth of his career—senior left-handed pitcher Jagger Jefferis made the most of his first start, tossing a career-long 6.0 innings while striking out a career-best 11. He scattered six total baserunners (four hits and two walks) during his outing, allowing just one run coming on a solo homer.
 
Backing Jefferis, junior leftfielder Jace Rinehart and redshirt senior centerfielder Daniel Gernon racked up four hits apiece as Rinehart's total featured three extra-base hits and Gernon's matched his career high. Rinehart homered and collected two doubles as he drove home three while redshirt senior Grant Sherrod also plated three for the Spartans.
 
Out of the bullpen, freshman right-hander Darin Kuskie, senior righty Tommy Henninger, and junior righty Julian Parson combined for three scoreless innings, each tossing a single frame, in relief of Jefferis. As a staff, Upstate combined to strike out 16 Lancer hitters, the most by the Spartans this season, surpassing two instances of 15 strikeouts—versus Penn on March 2 and versus Rider on March 10.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 8; Longwood 1
Records: USC Upstate (31-19; 15-7 Big South); Longwood (20-27; 7-12 Big South)
Location: Buddy Bolding Stadium | Farmville, Va.
 
How It Happened

• T1: Upon moving further into scoring position following a leadoff double into the rightfield corner, Noah Sullivan crossed the plate for the game's first run, coming home on an RBI single through the box from Grant Sherrod.
• T3: Adding to the Spartans' lead, Jace Rinehart muscled an inside pitch out of the ballpark, exiting down the leftfield line, his 14^th homer of the season.
• T4: Inside-outing a pitch off the wall in right-center, Rinehart registered his second RBI of the night as he chased home Daniel Gernon with his 19^th double of the campaign.
• B5: Scratching its first run of the night, Longwood put one on the board behind a solo homer to right-center from Willie Havens.
• T6: Getting its run back and then some, Upstate plated two more as Sherrod added a pair of RBI, his 65^th and 66^th of the year, with a bloop single into left-center.
• T7: Extending its lead, a pair of Spartans recorded their fourth hits of the night to drive home runs. Gernon tripled into the rightfield corner to plate two and open the three-run frame before Rinehart singled to right to plate Gernon.

 
Notable

• Making his fourth career start and first in an Upstate uniform, Jagger Jefferis recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts, posting a career-high strikeout total for the second time in his last four appearances. He's the second Spartan pitcher to record 10-plus punchouts in a game this season, joining Henry Proger (10 versus Rider on March 10). His 11 strikeouts are the most since Reese Dutton struck out 11 versus Cincinnati on March 16, 2023.
• Jefferis' 11 strikeouts in his first career start as a Spartan mark the most by a Spartan pitcher in his first career start in the D1 era. He surpasses Blake Whitney's 10 strikeouts against St. Joseph's on March 1, 2015, for the record.
• Recording three RBI on the night, Grant Sherrod tied his Division I era (2007-pres.) single-season record for RBI, reaching 66 on the year.
• With a pair of doubles, Jace Rinehart upped his season total to 20, tying Jason Matthews (2021) and Luke Weber (2011) for the program's D1 era single-season record in the category. Adding a home run, his three extra-base hits give him 37 and 146 total bases on the season, both surpassing the D1 era single-season record marks of teammate Koby Kropf (36 and 142).

 
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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