Wylie Waters and Maloy Heaghney Homer as Baseball Wraps Series and Road Swing at Samford

Sunday, April 26

Birmingham, Ala.

2:00 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

19-26

Samford

23-19

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
USC Upstate	0	1	2	0	0	3	0	0	0	6	6	1
Samford	4	0	0	0	1	4	0	0	X	9	12	0

Wylie Waters 3rd AB vs. High Point Gm 3 2026 - CH

Photo by: Catherine Harney

4/26/2026 5:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Wrapping an eight-game road swing, the club's final lengthy stretch away from home, USC Upstate baseball dropped its series finale at Samford, falling 9-6 Sunday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The Spartans battled, erasing an early deficit before succumbing to the Bulldogs.

Erasing the early four-run deficit they faced, the Spartans chipped away at the lead, scratching a run in the second using an RBI single from senior leftfielder Preston Lucas—the first of his two hits on the day. Upstate struck again in the third with a two-run home run from redshirt sophomore shortstop Maloy Heaghney, further trimming the disadvantage.

In the sixth, the Spartans fought their way to the lead as senior first baseman Wylie Waters' three-run blast pushed Upstate out front. The Bulldogs battled back in the home half of the frame, plating four runs to retake the lead.

Game Information
Score: Samford 9; USC Upstate 6
Records: USC Upstate (19-26; 8-10 Big South); Samford (23-19; 8-4 SoCon)
Location: Joe Lee Griffin Field | Birmingham, Ala.

How It Happened

B1: Samford struck for four runs in the first inning using a pair of long balls, a solo shot to left-center from Cade Carr and a three-run homer from Jeffery Ince to right-center.
T2: The Spartans got a run back in the second as Preston Lucas shot a ball through the six-hole, plating Maloy Heaghney from third.
T3: Pulling Upstate within a run, Maloy Heaghney smoked a 0-1 pitch over the wall in left-center, his two-run blast marking his sixth long ball of the campaign.
B5: Getting back a run to rebuild its advantage, Samford pushed across a run on a groundout back up the middle by Jake Souders.
T6: Delivering the Spartans the lead, Wylie Waters crushed a three-run blast off the trees in left-center, his team-leading eighth of the year.
B6: Fighting back to retake the advantage, the Bulldogs strung together three run-producing base hits in the frame. A two-run double from Hayden Perry started things before Gus Gandy and Pierce Dutton each drove home tallies with singles.

Notable

Being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning, Johnny Sweeney's 20^th HBP of the campaign made him the first player in program history with multiple seasons with 20 or more HBP in a career, following his 21 HBP last season. Sweeney's 2026 campaign is the fifth all-time to see a player draw 20-plus HBP.
Seeing its losing skid extend to nine games Sunday, the stretch is the longest losing streak since a 10-game losing streak from April 13 to May 7, 2014.

Up Next for the Spartans
With no midweek game due to the annual "exam week" break, USC Upstate returns to action and Big South Conference play on Friday, May 1 as it begins a three-game series against Gardner-Webb. The Spartans and Runnin' Bulldogs begin their series with a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.

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

TICKETS ON-SALE FOR SPARTY'S BALL – MAY 15^th
Support USC Upstate student-athletes at Sparty's Ball, the largest fundraising event of the year for the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF), to be held Friday, May 15, 2025, at The Piedmont Club. For tickets, sponsorship, and auction information, click here!