Home Atlantic Sun Stetson Sweep USC-Upstate In A-Sun Play

Stetson Sweep USC-Upstate In A-Sun Play

by Donald J. Boyles
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Kyle Maulbetsch had two hits and two RBI against the Spartans.Courtesy: Stetson University

Kyle Maulbetsch had two hits and two RBI against the Spartans.Courtesy: Stetson University

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Freshman Jeff Medley (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) went 5-for-8 with four RBI in the USC Upstate baseball team’s Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader against Stetson on Saturday afternoon at Harley Park, but the Hatters used 35 hits to post 12-4 and 18-9 wins over the Spartans.

Three Stetson pitchers held Upstate to seven hits in the first game of the doubleheader, as the team’s hitters cranked out 18 hits to lead to a 12-4 win.

Freshman Tyler Cook (Bloomington, Ill./University) went 2-for-3 with a run to lead the Spartans while three Hatters, Jeff Simpson, Frank Florio and Kyle Maulbetsch had three hits. Simpson had three runs and two RBI, Florio added two runs and Maulbetsch had a run and two RBI.

The Hatters jumped out to a 10-0 lead through the first six innings, posting a five-run second inning that featured a three-run homer from Jeremy Cruz. Upstate got on the board with two outs in the seventh inning, as junior Ryan Wilkins (Spartanburg, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) drew a walk with one out and Medley added a walk. After a strikeout, Cook hit a ball deep into the hole that the Stetson shortstop got to, but his throw was just a quarter-step late. Wilkins never stopped running on the play and caught the Hatters off-guard, diving in safely at the plate just ahead of the shocked Hatters’ tag.

Upstate added two more runs in the eighth inning, as senior Phillip Morgan (Campobello, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) singled through the left side to lead off and freshman Austin Moyer (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford) lined a single into right field. After a fielder’s choice and a fly out, Medley delivered a two-run double down the right-field line, cutting the Stetson lead to 10-3.

The Hatters got two unearned runs back in the top of the ninth, scoring the runs on two hits and an error. Upstate tallied its final run in the ninth, as Cook reached on a three-base outfield error and scored on an error by the first baseman.

Andy Mauldin (1-2) picked up his first win of the year for Stetson, throwing 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and two walks, striking out five. Senior Phillip Myers (Louisville, Ky./Seminole C.C.) (1-2) took the loss for Upstate, pitching 1 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and six runs.

Freshman Andrew Wyant (Newton, N.C./Fred T. Foard) pitched well in just his second career relief appearance, throwing 3 2/3 innings, allowing just four hits, a walk and two unearned runs. He struck out three.

Upstate fell behind by 10 runs before a six-run rally in the eighth inning helped the Spartans come within four before five Stetson ninth-inning runs completed the 18-9 Hatter win. Medley led the Spartans in the game, going 4-for-5 with a run and two RBI.

Sophomore Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) singled up the middle to lead off the eighth inning with Upstate down 13-3. Wilkins drew a walk before Medley delivered a single into left field for an RBI. A passed ball scored Wilkins before freshman Austin Liput (Oviedo, Fla./Trinity Prep) singled to third base to score Medley. After a pitching change, Cook singled up the middle and a bunt single by senior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) loaded the bases.

Junior Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr’s Mill) delivered a single over the third baseman’s head for two RBIs and a groundout scored Guillen with the sixth run of the inning, cutting Stetson’s lead to 13-9.

The Hatters scored five in the top of the ninth, using four walks and two hits in the frame to put the game out of reach.

The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as senior Eric Guillen walked with one out and Tanner followed with a single into right field on a hit-and-run. When the ball got past the right fielder, Guillen scored easily.

However, a leadoff homer by Aaron Crittenden in the top of the sixth led to four runs in the inning and a three-run homer from Jeremy Cruz capped a four-run fourth inning for the Hatters. Two more runs crossed in the fifth inning on a two-RBI single from Kyle Maulbetsch, giving Stetson a 10-1 lead.

Another Stetson run crossed in the sixth on two hits before Upstate answered with a two-run rally to cut the lead to 11-3. With one out, Moyer doubled down the right field line. After a fly out, Wilkins tripled to left center and then Medley notched an RBI double to right center to score the runs.

Two more runs came in the eighth for the Hatters on three hits, including a homer from Mark Jones.

Upstate also got two-hit efforts from Guillen and Tanner, as Guillen scored twice and Tanner drove two in. Jones went 3-for-4 with four runs and two RBI and Jeff Simpson went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI to lead the Hatters’ 17-hit offense.

Lindsey Caughel (3-2) pitched five innings, allowing three hits and three walks, but just one unearned run to earn the win for Stetson. Freshman Ryan Fern (Oviedo, Fla./Trinity Prep) (1-4) took the loss for Upstate, going 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs.

Upstate is back in action on Tuesday when it heads to ACC foe Wake Forest for a 6 p.m. contest. On Wednesday, the Spartans host Presbyterian at Harley Park at 6 p.m.

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