COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Seeing its midweek finale moved up and suspended due to inclement weather and lightning, USC Upstate baseball attempted a comeback following the lengthy delay, but said comeback fell short in an 8-5 setback Wednesday afternoon at Quillen Field at Bush Stadium.
 
Three Spartans finished the afternoon with multi-hit efforts, headed by a three-hit day from sophomore shortstop Vance Sheahan as he extended his team-leading hitting streak and team-leading reached base streak to 10 and 29 games, respectively. Junior catcher Preston Lucas and redshirt freshman rightfielder Henry Zenor collected a pair of hits each, completing the trio.
 
Slugging his team-leading 14^th home run of the season, redshirt sophomore centerfielder Scott Newman regained the team lead in the statistical category, spurring his multi-RBI effort. Lucas, adding to his multi-hit day, drove home a pair, the lone Spartan to record both a multi-hit and multi-RBI game Wednesday.
 
Game Information
Score: Tennessee Tech 8; USC Upstate 6
Records: USC Upstate (21-21; 8-4 Big South); Tennessee Tech (26-16; 9-6 OVC)
Location: Quillen Field at Bush Stadium | Cookeville, Tenn.
 
How It Happened

• T1: Batting with a pair of runners in scoring position, Wylie Waters laced a ball back up the middle, forcing a misplay by the Golden Eagle second baseman shaded up the middle, leading to the first run of the day.
• T2: Expanding upon the Spartans' lead, Scott Newman led off the second frame with his 14^th homer of the year, hammering 1-1 pitch out of the yard to left.
• T4: Bounding a ball back through the middle, Gage Griggs picked up an RBI as he chased Newman home from second base, pushing the Upstate lead to three.
• B4: Taking advantage of a pair of free bases and an Upstate error, Tennessee Tech pulled within one, plating a pair in the inning. The first on a single from Eddie Garza and the second via a fielding error.
• B6: Tying the game at three, Golden Eagle Nicho Jordan homered to right-center.
• B7: Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded, Jordan laced a bases-clearing double down the rightfield line, delivering Tennessee Tech the lead.
• B8: Resuming play after a two-plus hour lightning delay, the Golden Eagles added a pair of runs behind a sac fly from Preston Steele and RBI single from Jackson Green.
• T9: With a pair in scoring position and one out, Preston Lucas nestled a single into the left-center gap, chasing home Henry Zenor and Vance Sheahan. Later in the frame as Upstate loaded the bases, Newman drew an HBP to plate the final run.

 
Notable

• Homering in the second inning, Scott Campbell hit his 14^th long ball of the season, tying for the sixth-most homers in a single season in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.).
• Stealing a pair of bags in the seventh inning, Vance Sheahan upped his season stolen base total to 22, the second-most steals in a campaign in the D1 era. He trails Easton Cullison's 25 steals in 2023 for the D1 era record while ranking as the seventh most in a single season in program history.

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Staying on the road to close out a five-game swing away from Cleveland S. Harley Park, USC Upstate makes the short trip to Gardner-Webb for a three-game set. The Spartans and Runnin' Bulldogs begin their series Friday with a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.
 
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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!