Upstate Defeats Eagles, 7-5
April 5, 2007
Upstate Defeats Eagles, 7-5
SPARTANBURG, SC-- Carson-Newman built a 5-0 lead after four innings, but the No. 21 USC Upstate Spartans scored seven unanswered runs, including three in the eighth inning to take the lead, and held on in the ninth for a 7-5 win over Carson-Newman at Harley Park Wednesday night.
Upstate improves to 25-17 on the season while Carson-Newman falls to 24-16.
Carson-Newman scored three runs in the first inning. After Brandon Burchfield was hit by a pitch while Langdon Potts and Nick Achberger walked to set the stage for Michael Brown's two-RBI single that scored Burchfield and Potts. After a Jason Gray sacrifice to put Brown and Achberger at second and third, Doran laced an RBI single to score Achberger for a 3-0 Eagle lead. The Eagles added another run in the third when Doran hit a leadoff single and scored on a double by Adam Kefauver for a 4-0 advantage. Potts walked with two outs in the fourth inning and advanced to second when Achberger was hit by a pitch.
Upstate scored a run on a RBI groundout by designated hitter Kyle Bowley in the fifth inning and added another in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by center fielder Kyle Simpson to cut the lead to 5-2. The Spartans cut the lead even further to 5-4 in the seventh on an RBI double by Andrew Runion, who also scored on an error later in the inning.
The Spartans tied the game on an RBI single by third baseman Jake Rollins and took the lead when center fielder Kyle Simpson scored on a fielders choice by John Caddell. Junior left fielder Casey Rivers added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
Down 5-4 in the eighth inning, the Spartans tied the game on an RBI single by freshman third baseman Jake Rollins and took the lead when sophomore center fielder Kyle Simpson scored on a fielders choice by senior shortstop John Caddell. Junior left fielder Casey Rivers added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
The Eagles had runners on second and third base with one out in the ninth inning, but Upstate sophomore relief pitcher Justin Hayes (2-1) struck out designated hitter designated hitter Michael Brown and induced a groundout by right fielder Jason Gray to end the game.
The Eagles had runners on second and third base with one out in the ninth inning, but Upstate relief pitcher Justin Hayes (2-1) struck out Michael Brown and induced a groundout by Jason Gray to end the game.
Doran went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead Carson-Newman at the plate and Potts was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Relief pitcher Mark Caroll (4-3) took the loss for the Eagles after giving up two runs in the eighth inning. The Eagles return to South Atlantic Conference play when they take on Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, North Carolina on April 6 and 7. The Eagles and Bears will play a doubleheader on April 6 at 12:00 p.m. and a single game on April 7 at 1:00 p.m.
