Bats Back Stellar Start From Max Bianchini as Baseball Run-Rules NJIT in OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic Finale

Sunday, February 22

Spartanburg, S.C.

10:00 a.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

4-4

NJIT

1-5

NJIT

USC Upstate

Photo by: Natalia Moll

2/22/2026 3:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Entering the rubber match of the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic with an opportunity to earn its first weekend set win, USC Upstate baseball's bats broke out for 17 runs, its second 17-run game of the week, in a run-rule win over NJIT Sunday morning.

Leading the Spartans' offensive outburst in their 17-1 win, five Spartans collected multi-RBI efforts, headlined by three-RBI days from redshirt sophomore rightfielder Kenan Bowman (career-high), senior second baseman Gage Griggs (tied career-high), and redshirt sophomore shortstop Maloy Heaghney. Two other Spartans, redshirt freshman leftfielder Trey Bentley and fifth-year senior designated hitter Johnny Sweeney, notched multi-RBI days with two runs batted in apiece.

All nine members of the Upstate lineup reached base and scored at least one run, eight of the nine reaching via hit. Heaghney, Sweeney, Bowman, Griggs, senior catcher Preston Lucas, and senior first baseman Wylie Waters each tallied a pair of hits.

Making his second start of the season, redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Max Bianchini scattered three hits and four baserunners over 6.0 innings of work, allowing just one unearned run while striking out four batters. In relief, freshman righty Jack Morris punched out three hitters in his lone inning.

Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 17; NJIT 1 (7 inn.)
Records: USC Upstate (4-4; 0-0 Big South); NJIT (1-5; 0-0 America East)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.

How It Happened

T1: Taking advantage of an Upstate throwing error, NJIT plated its lone run in the opening frame, scoring on the E6.
B2: For the second time this season, the Spartans batted around in the second frame, scoring six runs to take the lead. Kenan Bowman started the Spartan scoring, ripping a single through the left side to plate the first run. Another came home on a fielder's choice from Trey Bentley before a safety squeeze executed by Gage Griggs pushed across the third tally. Maloy Heaghney capped the six-run frame with a two-run homer to right, his first as a Spartan.
B3: Picking up his second RBI of the day, Bowman drove home Jake Armsey with a triple off the wall in right-center, scoring Armsey from second.
B5: Tacking on another run, Henry Zenor drove home Bentley with a groundout to second, the eighth Upstate tally of the day.
B6: Capping its day, Upstate hung nine runs on the board in the sixth—its second-largest scoring inning of the season. The biggest hits of the inning, a single back through the middle from Griggs and a triple from Johnny Sweeney, plated two runs apiece. Bentley, Bowman, and Preston Lucas each added an RBI while two additional runs crossed because of NJIT errors.

Notable

With its win Sunday over NJIT, Upstate improved to 11-4 in the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic. The Spartans took two of three games in the event in 2025 and 2026 and swept the event in 2022 and 2024.
Seeing triples from Kenan Bowman and Johnny Sweeney, Sunday's game marked the first since April 14, 2024, versus The Citadel to see Upstate record multiple triples in a game. Sunday's game is the first since Feb. 23, 2024, versus Quinnipiac to see Upstate total multiple triples in a game at Cleveland S. Harley Park.
Extending their hitting streaks, Maloy Heaghney and Henry Zenor close the weekend on eight-game hitting streaks.

Up Next for the Spartans
Facing the team's final two-game midweek slate of the season, Upstate travels to the Sunshine State for a pair of games. The Spartans travel to North Florida Tuesday (6 p.m. ET) and Stetson Wednesday (6:30 p.m.).

Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartans
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans

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Road Swing Continues as Baseball Heads to Georgia Southern for a Three-Game Set, Meeting the Eagles for the First Time Since 2008

Thursday, February 26

Andrew Kummer vs. Georgia 4th Inn. 2026 - EH

Getting 7.0 Scoreless Frames From Its Bullpen, Baseball Captures Victory in 2-1 Pitchers' Duel at Stetson

Thursday, February 26

Max Kaplan 2nd Inn. vs. Western Carolina Gm 1 2026 - CH

Max Kaplan Notches Second Straight Quality Start and Victory as Bats Back Pitching in 7-3 Win at North Florida

Tuesday, February 24

Jacob Kirby 8th Inn. vs. Western Carolina Gm 1 2026 - CH

Earning Save and Win in First Career Appearances, Baseball's Jacob Kirby Captures First Career Weekly Honor with Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week Nod

Tuesday, February 24

Next Event

North Florida

W, 7-3

Feb 24 (Tue)

6:00 p.m.

Box Score Recap Box Score (PDF)Game Notes Preview Live stats History

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Bianchini, Max (1-1)

L: Mark Scamardella (0-1)

NJIT

Batting:

2B: Dillon Can 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Ty Sallie 1

HBP: Austin Francis 1

USC Upstate

Batting:

2B: Sweeney, Johnny 1 ; Griggs, Gage 1

3B: Sweeney, Johnny 1 ; Bowman, Kenan 1

HR: Heaghney, Maloy 1

RBI: Zenor, Henry 1 ; Heaghney, Maloy 3 ; Lucas, Preston 1 ; Sweeney, Johnny 2 ; Bowman, Kenan 3 ; Bentley, Trey 2 ; Griggs, Gage 3

SH: Lucas, Preston 1 ; Griggs, Gage 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Zenor, Henry 1 ; Heaghney, Maloy 2 ; Lucas, Preston 2 ; Sweeney, Johnny 3 ; Armsey, Jake 3 ; Waters, Wylie 2 ; Bowman, Kenan 1 ; Bentley, Trey 2 ; Griggs, Gage 1