Spartans break open game
with three unearned over the sixth and seventh
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (February
17, 2006) - The University of South Carolina Upstate used
three unearned runs over the sixth and seventh innings to fuel an
8-4 victory over Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 20 in this week's
Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II Coaches' poll, in
non-conference baseball action at Harley Park this evening.
Senior right-hander
Brandon Williams (Tega Cay, S.C.) threw
eight strong innings for USC Upstate to run his record to 2-0 for
the season. Williams, who entered the game with a 0.69 earned run
average, yielded three earned runs on four hits and three walks
with ten strikeouts, including six-straight in one stretch early in
the contest. Junior Bradley Blanks (Fort Mill,
S.C.) was credited with his second save of the
season, striking out the only batter he faced with two runners on.
Senior Brad Wingo
(Greenville, S.C.) led the Spartans offense as he hit
3-for-5 with three runs scored, a double, RBI and stolen base.
Sophomore Michael Kohn (Camden, S.C.) was
3-4 with an RBI, while sophomore Kyle Bowley (Apopka,
Fla.) finished 2-5 with a double and two RBI. Junior
Bret Hansen (Charlotte, N.C.) was 2-3
with a pair of walks, an RBI and run scored.
Junior All-American
Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford
Hills) provided the majority of offense for Franklin
Pierce, hitting a perfect 3-for-3 with a homer, stolen base, two
RBI and run scored and was also hit by his school-record
26th pitch in 102 career contests. Senior All-American
Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey,
N.H./Monadnock) and classmate Elliott
Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) each finished 1-4 with
Duplissie notching a double and Shea a homer.
Duplissie suffered the loss (just
his second in eight decisions over two years at the College), as he
was touched for three earned runs on five hits with a walk and
strikeout over 2.2 innings of work.
Franklin Pierce, playing its
earliest season-opener in program history, was eager to get the
season started as Olson, Baseball America's preseason
Division II Player of the Year, and Shea belted the first two
pitches of the game over the centerfield wall to give the Ravens a
quick lead.
USC Upstate answered right away
with a pair in the home half off Duplissie. After a leadoff walk to
John Caddell (Apex, N.C.), Wingo ripped a
double to put two runners in scoring position with none out. Hanson
followed with an infield single to score Caddell, while Wingo
scored on a groundout.
The Spartans forged ahead in the
third when Bowley followed a Hansen single with an RBI double. A
throwing error led to an unearned run in the sixth as Kohn
registered an RBI single. USCU tacked on two more in the seventh
thanks to a pair of Franklin Pierce errors. Caddell scored on one
error and Andrew Runion (Simpsonville,
S.C.) followed with an RBI single.
The Ravens attempted to come back
in the eighth, putting the first two runners on for Olson. He
ripped a single to score one run, but the Spartans got a foul out
and strikeout to escape the frame without further damage. USCU got
the run back and more with a pair of runs in the home half to seal
the win.
Franklin Pierce (0-1, 0-0 NE-10)
and USC Upstate (5-2, 0-0 Peach Belt) are scheduled to continue
their four-game weekend series tomorrow with a doubleheader
beginning at 1 p.m. The series concludes with a single game Sunday
at 11 a.m.
Boxscore
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