HIGH POINT, N.C. – Gardner-Webb took an early lead over No. 2 USC Upstate Thursday, but saw the Spartans rally late for a 3-2 win in the second round of the 2022 Ingles Big South Conference Baseball Championship.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (23-35) will play No. 3 UNC Asheville in an elimination game on Thursday night.

Benino Mendella led off the top of the third with an infield single and moved all the way to third after a hit by Alex Ray and a sacrifice bunt from Jacob Marcos. AJ Jones drove a ball deep to centerfield for a sacrifice fly and a 1-0 lead – then slugger Alec Burns came through with a sharp single to right for a 2-0 advantage.

The Spartans were held in check until the bottom of the fourth, when Noah Rabon sliced an opposite field home run off of the yellow stripe atop the wall for a solo home run – trimming the lead in half.

Upstate tied the game with a run in the sixth and surged in front with another run in the seventh. Gardner-Webb's Peter Capobianco belted a two-out double in the eighth, but was stranded when Bo Rusher III had his line drive snared to end the threat.

The Spartans extended the lead in the bottom of the eighth with a suicide squeeze bunt.

Starter Tyler Switalski was tagged with the loss despite a strong start, working 6.1 innings with three runs allowed on six hits. He fanned five and walked just one on 95 pitches.

Gardner-Webb had seven hits in the game, with Capobianco (2-for-3) and Ray (2-for-3) leading that charge. Marcos (1-for-3), Burns (1-for-4) and Mendella (1-for-3) also had hits.

Rabon went 2-for-4 to lead the Spartans' eight-hit offensive effort.