Wylie Waters' Three-Hit, Three-RBI Night Powers Baseball to Series and Big South-Opening Win Over High Point

Friday, March 13

Spartanburg, S.C.

3:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

9-10, 1-0

High Point

10-8, 0-1

High Point

USC Upstate

Photo by: Natalia Moll

3/13/2026 8:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Poetically, following the battle the two teams fought over the league's regular season crown last season, it's only right that Big South Conference play in 2026 begins with USC Upstate baseball and High Point, as was the case Friday afternoon. Familiar foes, meeting nine times over the past two seasons, the 10^th meeting since the beginning of the 2024 campaign saw the Spartans rally from an early deficit en route to a 9-7 victory, defeating the Panthers at Cleveland S. Harley Park.

While High Point struck first behind a pair of home runs in the first, Upstate did not flinch, fighting back to tie the game on a two-run shot from senior first baseman Wylie Waters in the second. Despite seeing the Panthers add another tally in the third, the Spartans charged back with a four-spot in the home half, taking the advantage and not looking back.

Upstate tacked on insurance runs in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings—allowing it to withstand a three-run ninth inning from the Panthers—leading to the 9-7 victory and a 1-0 record in Big South play.

Waters, powered by his two-run opposite field blast, led the way with a career-high-tying three hits, adding an RB-I double as he tied his season-best with three RBI. Redshirt sophomore rightfielder Kenan Bowman and fifth-year senior designated hitter Johnny Sweeney each drove home two runs while Bowman and redshirt sophomore shortstop Maloy Heaghney collected two hits apiece.

Battling back from a pair of first-inning runs against him, junior left-handed pitcher Chris Torres earned the win after turning in 5.0 innings while striking out six. In relief, redshirt freshman right-hander Jacob Kirby turned in 3.1 innings before handing the ball over to freshman righty Andrew Kummer to slam the door in the ninth for his first career save.

Game Information
Score: USC Upstate 9; High Point 7
Records: USC Upstate (9-10; 1-0 Big South); High Point (10-8; 0-1 Big South)
Location: Cleveland S. Harley Park | Spartanburg, S.C.

How It Happened

T1: Opening the day's scoring, High Point launched a pair of solo home runs in the first. Willie Ponce jumped on the first pitch of the game, sending it to deep right, before Lane Allen launched a 1-1 pitch later in the frame to deep left.
B2: Tying the game, Wylie Waters delivered a clutch two-run shot to right-center for the Spartans—their first extra-base hit of the contest.
T3: Answering the deadlock, the Panthers regained the lead behind a Jake McCarter single to left.
B3: Sending nine Spartans to the plate in the stanza, Upstate provided its rebuttal in the form of a four-run third. Johnny Sweeney broke open the innings scoring, chasing home a pair of leadoff baserunners with a two-run single ripped through the right side. Tacking on, Waters drove home Sweeney with a double to right-center before later scoring on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Gage Griggs.
T5: Getting a run back, Seojun Oh drove home a run for High Point with a single to left-center.
B5: Providing an immediate answer, Upstate, taking advantage of three free bases in the frame, pushed across a run on a Jake Armsey walk with the bases loaded.
B6: Again, capitalizing with the bases juiced, the Spartans hung another on the board using a Kenan Bowman sac fly.
B8: Adding a final insurance run, Bowman delivered again for Upstate, dropping a double into shallow rightfield, scoring Maloy Heaghney.
T9: Hitting his second long ball of the night, Allen plated three for the Panthers with a shot to left.

Notable

Tossing the final 0.2 innings for the Spartans Friday evening, Andrew Kummer earned his first career save. He becomes the fifth different Upstate pitcher to record a save this season, joining Reece Hemmerling, Jacob Kirby, Cayden Mackey, and Juan Reyes, with each pitcher earning their first career saves this season.
With Upstate's victory Friday evening, head coach Kane Sweeney captured his 20^th career victory in conference play, tying the program record for the fastest head coach to 20 conference wins as Upstate skipper. He and former head coach John Daurity (1986-1991) each reached the mark in their first 25 league contests.

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