Darin Kuskie 3rd Inning vs. UNCG Gm 1 2025
Emma Hudson
5
UNC Greensboro UNCG 17-20
10
Winner USC Upstate UPST 20-18
UNC Greensboro UNCG
17-20
5
Final
10
USC Upstate UPST
20-18
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UNC Greensboro UNCG 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 0 5 6 3
USC Upstate UPST 5 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 X 10 10 2

W: Kuskie, Darin (3-1) L: Rob Ready (1-5)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Darin Kuskie's Career-Long Outing Sets Tone in Baseball's 10-5 Series-Opening Victory Over UNCG

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Carrying the momentum from its series finale in the inaugural "Battle of the Spartans" during the 2024 campaign, USC Upstate baseball opened its latest series with UNCG with a 10-5 win Thursday evening at Cleveland S. Harley Park, riding solid pitching and a first-inning five-spot to the win.
 
Seeing his offense back him with five runs in the home half of the first after he retired the side in order in the opening half inning, sophomore right-handed pitcher Darin Kuskie turned in his first career quality start, pitching a career-long 6.1 innings Thursday. He held UNCG to four hits and two earned runs in his outing while striking out five—his third consecutive start with five-plus punchouts.
 
Backing Kuskie's start, junior first baseman Wylie Waters and redshirt junior rightfielder Scott Campbell combined for seven RBI, collecting four and three, respectively, including driving home all five first-inning runs. Both Spartans homered on the evening with Waters slugging a three-run homer in the first and Campbell lacing a solo shot in the third.
 
Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 10; UNCG 5
Records: USC Upstate (20-18; 8-4 Big South); UNCG (17-20; 7-2 SoCon)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened
  • B1: Jumping out to its early advantage, USC Upstate plated five runs (or more) for the third time this season. After the first three hitters in the lineup reached safely, Scott Campbell singled back through the middle, driving in a pair before Wylie Waters stepped up later in the frame, hitting a three-run homer to left.
  • B3: Adding another RBI to his daily total, Campbell launched a solo shot to left, exiting the yard to the left of the Harley Park scoreboard.
  • B4: Behind a wild pitch from UNCG, Upstate added another as Gage Griggs raced home.
  • T5: Following up a pair of hits to open the inning, UNCG put two on the board, stringing together an RBI single from Zachary Walsh and an Upstate error.
  • B5: Getting a run back, Upstate hung its eighth run on the board as Griggs executed a safety squeeze, scoring Waters.
  • B6: Upstate added a pair in the sixth taking advantage of a wild pitch and fielding error to score its runs. Scott Newman scrambled home on the wild pitch before Wylie Waters added his fourth RBI via a dropped fly ball sacrifice fly.
  • T7: UNCG added a run in the seventh, taking advantage of an Upstate error to scratch its tally.
  • T8: Closing the day's scoring, UNCG brought home its final run on a groundout.
 
Notable
  • Swiping a bag in the fourth inning, Vance Sheahan collected his 18th stolen base of the season. The steal ties his 2025 total for the third-most stolen bases in a single season in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.).
 
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SAVE THE DATE FOR SPARTY'S BALL – MAY 17th – Support USC Upstate Athletics at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraising event of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF), to be held Saturday, May 17, 2025 at the Milliken Club at Fifth Third Park. For tickets, sponsorship and auction information, click here!
 
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