April 4, 2008

Final Stats

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Eight hits came from the No. 3 to No. 6 slots in the USC Upstate baseball team's batting order, but it wasn't enough to overcome a hot-hitting Gardner-Webb on Friday afternoon in the opener of a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference set at Varsity Field, as Upstate fell for the first time in five games, 13-6.

Senior Andrew Runion (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin), senior Casey Rivers (Hudson, Mass./Hudson), sophomore Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Stars Mill) and freshman Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) each had two hits for the Spartans (16-15 overall, 9-7 A-Sun) during the game in the three through six slots. Both Runion and Rivers scored a run and Tanner and Green each drove in one.

However, Gardner-Webb's offense was able to take control in the game, scoring seven runs in the first four innings before a five-run seventh, capped by a homer from Jamel Kinard put the game out of reach. The Bulldogs (13-14 overall, 6-10 A-Sun) added a run in the eighth.

Upstate took a 1-0 lead in the first when Runion posted a two-out hit that caromed off the Bulldog pitcher. Rivers followed with another single up the middle and Tanner scored Runion with a single into short center field. After Gardner-Webb scored a run in the bottom of the inning, freshman Reed Lishen (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach) started a Spartan rally in the second inning with a single up the middle. Junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) followed with a single up the middle. A wild pitch moved both runners up and a throwing error on a fielder's choice allowed both to score.

Gardner-Webb countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning and added two more in the fourth to take a 7-3 lead, but Upstate used single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings to make it a two-run game. Rivers singled with one out in the fifth, stole second, moved to third on a single by Tanner and scored on a seeing-eye single from Green. In the sixth, Guillen singled to lead off, moved to third on two groundballs and scored on a balk.

Upstate scored its last run in the eighth as Guillen tripled to right field to lead off and scored when freshman A.J. Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) singled through the right side. Guillen finished the game with three hits and three runs for Upstate.

Darren Cooke went 3-fot-5 with two runs and two RBIs and Kinard went 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs to lead Gardner-Webb. Jason Loyd added four hits, two runs and an RBI and Jeremiah Lokken went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

Senior Kyle Bowley (Apopka, Fla./Apopka) (4-2) took the loss after allowing seven runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. Robert Maxa (1-2) got the win for Gardner-Webb, allowing a run and a hit in 1 2/3 innings of relief.

Upstate and Gardner-Webb wrap up their three-game set at Varsity Field on Saturday with a doubleheader slated for 1 p.m.