SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Facing territory it hadn't seen in nearly two seasons, USC Upstate baseball faced extra innings for the first time since May 20, 2023, as game two of the "Battle of the Spartans" evolved into a pitchers' duel Friday evening in a 15-inning affair at Cleveland S. Harley Park. UNCG evened the series via a 4-3 decision.
 
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Amp Phillips, redshirt sophomore right-hander Max Bianchini, sophomore righty Cooper Ellingworth, and junior right-hander Juan Reyes combined to limit UNCG to four runs and fewer than a hit per inning over the 15-inning duration. The quartet combined for 11 strikeouts against three walks on the evening with Phillips and Ellingworth recording four punchouts apiece. Upstate's pitching staff also stranded nine runners in scoring position on the night.
 
The Spartans scratched three runs on the night with two coming behind solo homers from junior second baseman Gage Griggs and redshirt freshman leftfielder Henry Zenor. Griggs' homer, an inside-the-park homer, marked his first as a Spartan with Zenor's homer marking his third of the year. Redshirt junior third baseman Alex Ritzer drove home the team's third run.
 
Game Information
Score: UNCG 4; USC Upstate 3 (15 inn.)
Records: USC Upstate (20-19; 8-4 Big South); UNCG (18-20; 7-2 SoCon)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.
 
How It Happened

• T3: Clanging a double off the wall in the deepest part of the ballpark, Jeremy Wolf produced the game's first run as Case Kermode came home to score.
• B3: Immediately tying the game for Upstate, Gage Griggs raced around the base paths for an inside-the-park home run.
• T4: Answering quickly to Upstate's run, UNCG regained the lead in the fourth as Luke Jenkins laid down a bunt single on a squeeze attempt, scoring the man from third.
• B5: Leading off the fifth, Henry Zenor exited the yard to right-center, knotting the game at two.
• B8: Delivering Upstate its first lead of the night, Alex Ritzer laced an RBI single back through the box, scoring Scott Campbell from second.
• T9: Stepping to the plate as a pinch hitter, Branton Jernigan nestled the first pitch he saw inside the rightfield line as his RBI triple tied the game.
• T15: Firing a double down the leftfield line, UNCG's Jacob Dilley broke the stalemate as he drove home Parker Wight.

 
Notable

• Friday's contest marked the first extra-inning game for Upstate since May 20, 2023, a 12-inning game against Campbell. The game also marks the longest for the Spartans since playing 16 innings versus Northern Kentucky on April 12, 2014. Friday's contest also ties for the sixth-longest game by innings in the NCAA this season.
• Striking out 20 times Friday, Upstate's offense set the program record for single-game strikeouts, the most since striking out 17 times versus Pitt on Feb. 23, 2019, and versus Jacksonville on May 11, 2018.

 
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