Facing Season's First Twin Bill, Baseball Earns Saturday Split, Beginning Series at Georgia Southern

Saturday, February 28

Statesboro, Ga.

2:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

6-5

Georgia Southern

1-8

USC Upstate

Georgia Southern

Photo by: Emma Hudson

2/28/2026 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

STATESBORO, Ga. – Facing its first doubleheader after Mother Nature forced Friday's series-opener to Saturday, USC Upstate baseball split its inaugural twin bill of the 2026 campaign Saturday, falling in game one 4-3 to Georgia Southern before responding with an 8-2 win in game two, evening the series with the Eagles.

Game one saw the Spartans and Eagles grappling for control as both teams scratched a run in the second frame before Upstate regained control with a run in the top of the sixth. The home half, however, saw Georgia Southern push across three tallies, retaking the lead and withstanding a Spartan run in the seventh, to earn the victory. Redshirt sophomore rightfielder Kenan Bowman and redshirt sophomore shortstop Maloy Heaghney each collected a pair of hits, including a double, while Heaghney and senior second baseman Gage Griggs notched RBI.

The twin bill's second contest saw Upstate strike for five runs between the second and fourth frames, building its advantage, in large part, thanks to a three-run homer from fifth-year senior designated hitter Johnny Sweeney in the third. The Spartans added three additional runs in the eighth before ceding a pair to the Eagles in the ninth. On the mound, junior right-hander pitcher Brent Stukes and redshirt junior righty Max Eichenberger combined for 8.0 scoreless innings, striking out eight.

Game Information (Game One)
Score: Georgia Southern 4; USC Upstate 3
Records: USC Upstate (6-5; 0-0 Big South); Georgia Southern (1-8; 0-0 Sun Belt)
Location: J.I. Clements Stadium | Statesboro, Ga.

How It Happened (Game One)

T2: Driving a 0-1 pitch into center, Gage Griggs started the day's scoring as he plated Kenan Bowman from second—who worked himself into scoring position after an HBP and stolen base.
B2: Following a ground-rule double, Georgia Southern's James McCoy knotted the game with a single through the right side.
T6: After putting a pair of runners into scoring position following a sac bunt from Jake Armsey, Upstate capitalized on an Eagle throwing error to notch its second run.
B6: Getting its run back and then some, Georgia Southern plated three in the frame behind RBI singles from Jonathan Jamie, Mason Gazaway, and Nico Senese.
T7: Lacing a double to right-center, Maloy Heaghney pulled Upstate within one as he drove home Henry Zenor from second.

Game Information (Game Two)
Score: USC Upstate 8; Georgia Southern 2
Records: USC Upstate (7-5; 0-0 Big South); Georgia Southern (1-9; 0-0 Sun Belt)
Location: J.I. Clements Stadium | Statesboro, Ga.

How It Happened (Game Two)

T2: Following a leadoff single from Johnny Sweeney and a double from Kenan Bowman, Micah Coleman delivered the first tally of game two with a sac fly to center.
T3: Stepping to the plate with two on and one two out, Sweeney slugged a three-run, opposite-field shot to left-center, expanding the Upstate advantage.
T4: Dropping a single into left, Alex Ritzer picked up an RBI as Bowman crossed for the Spartans' fifth run.
T8: Seeing four straight Spartans reach, Upstate scratched three additional insurance runs in the frame. A double to left-center from Gage Griggs produced the first run, a single to right from Henry Zenor the second, and a single to center from Tyler Lang the third.
B9: The Eagles scratched a pair in the final frame, using a wild pitch and a James McCoy single for the two runs.

Notable

Despite seeing his hitting streak come to a close in game one of the twin bill, Henry Zenor extended his team-best reached base streak to 12 games Saturday. He also enters Sunday's contest with a hit in 11 of Upstate's 12 contests this season.
Reaching in both games of the doubleheader, Gage Griggs upped his reached base streak to 10 games, joining Zenor with a double-digit streak.
Kenan Bowman and Johnny Sweeney end the twin bill holding the Spartans' longest active hitting streaks at five games apiece.

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