BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb fell 4-0 on Saturday afternoon to USC Upstate in the second game of a weekend Big South Conference baseball series.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (27-18, 12-8 Big South) ran into another strong pitching performance from the Spartans (31-16, 16-4 Big South) in a battle of the second and third-place teams in the league standings.
USC Upstate manufactured a run in the third to stake itself to a 1-0 lead and rode the left arm of starter Henry Proger to keep the Runnin' Bulldogs off the board in the early innings.
Gardner-Webb mounted a major threat in the third inning with two outs, getting hits from
Jacob Marcos and
Curtis Robison to get two men in scoring position. The Spartans got a ground ball to get out of that jam and pushed ahead 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth.
The Runnin' Bulldogs ran into a potential jam in the top of the eighth, as Upstate loaded the bases with nobody out – but a line drive double play slowed the potential rally and reliever
Grant Vera recorded a shallow fly ball to end the threat.
Gardner-Webb got a single from
Peter Capobianco with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but the Spartans rolled their second double play of the game to end the inning still in front by two runs.
Upstate pushed across two insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch and error with two outs and the bases loaded and Gardner-Webb faced a 4-0 deficit in its final at bat.
The Spartans went to closer Jake Cubbler for the second time in as many days and he retired Gardner-Webb on just eight pitches to end the game.
Proger (7-4) got the win, hurling 8.0 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts, just five hits and one walk allowed.
Cole Caruso went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles to lead a 10-hit offensive effort for the visitors. Daniel Vernon and Kyle Henington drove in one run each for the Spartans and Jake Armsey had a pair of base hits.
Gardner-Webb had five hits on Saturday, with Marcos going 2-for-4 to lead the way. Switalski (7-4) pitched well in a losing effort, allowing just two runs on seven hits through 7.0 innings of a quality start.
The series will wrap up on Sunday at 1:00 pm (ESPN+).
