Alex Ritzer 3rd AB vs. Boston College Gm1 2025
Natalia Moll
11
Winner Boston College BC 1-1
9
USC Upstate UPST 1-1
Winner
Boston College BC
1-1
11
Final
9
USC Upstate UPST
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston College BC 1 1 1 4 0 1 0 2 1 11 11 1
USC Upstate UPST 0 1 1 0 0 3 4 0 0 9 8 4

W: Matthew Spada (1-0) L: Consaul, Braden (0-1) S: Joey Ryan (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Career-High Three Hits and Three RBI from Jake Armsey and Alex Ritzer Drive Baseball's Comeback Attempt in Series Finale Versus Boston College

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Returning to the diamond after Mother Nature washed game two of the series, USC Upstate baseball fought its way back from a three-plus-run deficit as it did on Friday afternoon, seeking a second straight come-from-behind, late-inning win to begin the 2025. The Spartans' comeback attempt saw Upstate tie the game with another four-run seventh inning before Boston College plated three between the eighth and ninth to escape with an 11-9 victory and a series split.
 
Following up on its four-home run effort from Opening Day, Upstate's offense slugged three more long balls Sunday. Redshirt freshman rightfielder Henry Zenor collected his first hit in a Spartan uniform with a solo homer in the second inning to open the Spartans' scoring. Helping Upstate cut into a six-run Eagle lead, redshirt junior second baseman Alex Ritzer laced his second extra-base hit of the game, exiting the yard on a line drive to right, the first of two three-run Spartan homers. The third Spartan long ball—another three-run blast—helped Upstate tie the game in a four-run seventh with redshirt junior third baseman Jake Armsey launching his first of the year to right.
 
Behind their home runs, Armsey, Ritzer, and Zenor each picked up multi-hit and multi-RBI games for the Spartans. Armsey and Ritzer each collected a career-high three hits and three RBI. Zenor drove home a career-best two RBI, adding a sacrifice fly to his solo homer.
 
Making his USC Upstate debut, sophomore left-hander Chris Torres struck out six Eagles over 3.2 innings of work. Scheduled game three starter, freshman southpaw Max Kaplan worked 1.1 innings in relief in his debut, punching out three. Junior lefty Alex Sanderson and junior right-hander Braden Consaul each notched a strikeout, giving Upstate pitching 11 punchouts on the day.
 
Game Information
Score: Boston College 11; USC Upstate 9
Records: USC Upstate (1-1; 0-0 Big South); Boston College (1-1; 0-0 ACC)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
  • T1: Following a leadoff double from Patrick Roche, Boston College's Nick Wang opened the day's scoring with a two-out single into center.
  • T2: Doubling the Eagles' lead, Sam McNulty chased home a second run with an RBI double to rightfield.
  • B2: Leading off the home half of the second, Henry Zenor registered his first hit as a Spartan, launching a solo blast to right.
  • T3: Getting back the run it surrendered in the previous half inning, Boston College notched its third tally as Vince Cimini dropped a single into the left-center gap, sending Wang racing home.
  • B3: Taking advantage of a leadoff walk and a passed ball, Upstate tacked on an additional tally as Zenor drove home his second run of the day with a sac fly to right.
  • T4: Expanding upon their lead, the Eagles used successive two-run hits—a two-run single from Roche and a two-run home run from Kyle Wolff—to total four runs in the frame.
  • T6: Adding insurance, Boston College took advantage of a pair of failed pickoff attempts from the Spartans, scoring a single run to up the lead to six.
  • B6: Following a pair of two-out HBP, Alex Ritzer lined the first pitch of his at-bat over the wall in right, his first homer as a Spartan, cutting into the Boston College lead.
  • B7: Benefitting from a pair of leadoff free bases, Upstate tacked on the first three runs in its four-run frame as Jake Armsey left the yard to right. A single up the middle from Alex Ritzer and subsequent fielding error from Boston College led to the Spartans' fourth run, allowing Scott Campbell to come across and score and give Upstate the lead.
  • T8: Slugging his second two-run blast of the day, Wolff pushed Boston College back in front, leaving the yard to straightaway center.
  • T9: Adding a run of insurance, Wang homered down the leftfield line.
 
Notable
  • Picking up three hits Sunday—one of four Spartans with a three-plus hit game this season—Alex Ritzer finished the afternoon a double shy of the cycle. He joins Vance Sheahan, who was a triple shy of the cycle Friday, to give Upstate a batter a hit shy of the cycle in each of its two games this season.
  • Slugging three more home runs in game two against Boston College, Upstate has hit three or more homers in consecutive games for the first time since May 5-6, 2024, against High Point. A notable feature of the Spartans' seven homers is that each came from a different Spartan.
  • In Sunday's game, five additional Spartans made their USC Upstate debuts with Scott Campbell, Max Kaplan, Cayden Mackey, Alex Sanderson, and Chris Torres debuting. Through two games, 13 Spartans have made their debut.
 
Up Next for the Spartans
For the third time in four seasons, USC Upstate opens its midweek slate against Western Carolina, travelling to Cullowhee, N.C. Tuesday afternoon. First pitch in the first of two early season meetings between the clubs is set for 4 p.m. ET.
 
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