CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Closing out a split two-game midweek set, USC Upstate baseball battled its way back from an early deficit, tying the game heading into the stretch Wednesday evening against Charlotte. Despite taking the game's momentum in their favor, the Spartans dropped the contest 8-4 in the late innings at Hayes Stadium.
 
Redshirt junior rightfielder Scott Campbell led the Spartans at the plate, extending his team-leading hitting streak to 15 games, the longest by a Spartan since March 2024, with a pair of hits as he reached four times on the day. He drove home three of Upstate's four runs, collecting his fifth career multi-RBI game to pair with his eighth career multi-hit effort.
 
Joining Campbell with multi-hit nights, redshirt sophomore centerfielder Scott Newman and sophomore shortstop Vance Sheahan each recorded a pair of hits. Sheahan registered Upstate's lone extra-base hit, his team-leading 10^th double of the season. Tying himself for the national lead in the category, junior catcher Preston Lucas plated the Spartans' other run via sac fly, his seventh on the campaign.
 
Taking over out of the bullpen, freshman right-hander Cayden Mackey tossed a career-long 5.1 innings, surrendering on hit and no runs. He struck out a career-best six, collecting the first multi-strikeout outing of his young career.
 
Game Information
Score: Charlotte 8; USC Upstate 4
Records: USC Upstate (14-14; 3-3 Big South); Charlotte (16-12; 4-2 AAC)
Location: Hayes Stadium | Charlotte, N.C.
 
How It Happened

• B1: Using four hits, two walks, and a Spartan error in the frame, Charlotte scratched four in the first stanza with Cody Gunderson, Logan Poteet, Thad Ector, and Chandler Riley picking up RBI.
• T3: Drawing the second of back-to-back walks, Scott Campbell pushed across the Spartans' first run of the night, scoring Vance Sheahan who singled earlier in the inning.
• T5: Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded—the second time Upstate had loaded the bases—Preston Lucas lifted a fly ball into centerfield, securing his seventh sac fly of the year as Johnny Sweeney raced home.
• T7: Striking with the bases loaded for the third time on the night, the Spartans fought back to even the contest as Campbell recorded another pair of RBI as he dropped a single into the right-center gap.
• B7: Swinging the game's momentum back in Charlotte's favor, Johnny Sutryk launched a three-run homer to left.
• B8: Tacking on an insurance run, Dawson Bryce drove home one for the 49ers with a single back through the box.

 
Notable

• Extending his hitting streak to 15 games, Scott Campbell's streak is the longest by a Spartan since Koby Kropf reached safely via hit in 15 straight contests from Feb. 23 to March 15, 2024.
• Driving home a run with a sac fly, Preston Lucas pushed his season total in the category to seven, tying for the national lead.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Following its midweek non-conference detour, USC Upstate returns to Big South Conference play this weekend, heading to High Point for a three-game set. The Spartans and Panthers face off Friday at 6 p.m. ET, Saturday at 4 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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