Gardner-Webb Baseball Falls Short Sunday Afternoon In 11-6 Loss To USC Upstate

Sunday, May 7

Boiling Springs, NC

1:00 PM

Gardner-Webb University

27-19, 12-9

USC Upstate

32-16, 17-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Upstate	1	3	2	1	0	0	1	3	0	11	15	2
Gardner-Webb	0	1	0	0	3	0	2	0	0	6	7	0

Photo by: © Dakota Hawxwell Photo

Gardner-Webb Baseball Falls Short Sunday Afternoon In 11-6 Loss To USC Upstate

May 07, 2023 | Baseball

Box Score

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb lost its Big South Conference series finale by an 11-6 score Sunday afternoon to USC Upstate.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (27-19, 12-9 Big South) dropped its sixth in a row in the process and enters the final two weeks of the regular season in a tie for third in the league standings.

The Spartans (32-16, 17-4 Big South) took the first lead of the game for the third time in as many games, using a sacrifice fly to go up 1-0 in the top of the first.

That lead grew in the second with three runs scored, before Gardner-Webb could answer.

Alec Burns led off the bottom of the second inning and was plunked. A sacrifice bunt moved Burns into scoring position and Humberto Torres laced an RBI single with two outs to trim the Spartans' lead to 4-1. Gardner-Webb loaded the bases with a Peter Capobianco walk, but a pick off play at second base ended the threat.

Upstate pushed ahead further with two runs in the third and scored another in the fourth to go up 7-1.

Gardner-Webb mounted a rally in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs to pull within 7-4.

Curtis Robison lined a single down the line past first base with one out and stole second easily to get into scoring position. Mark Black walked and Burns followed with a five-pitch walk to load the bases.

Nate Anderson ripped a pitch to deep center for a sacrifice fly and Trevor Mattson followed with a double down the left field line to score a pair.

Gardner-Webb's bullpen held the Spartans scoreless in the sixth, but the visitors tacked on a run win the top of the seventh. A two-run home run by Mattson in the bottom of the seventh cut the lead to 8-6, but a three-run burst by Upstate in the top of the eighth put the game out of reach.

GWU starter Reid Bertram (1-5) was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 2.0 innings of work. The Runnin' Bulldogs collected seven hits in the game, with Mattson (2-for-5, HR, 4 RBI) and Rusher (2-for-3, 2B) each with a pair.

Al Holguin (3-1) picked up the win in 3.2 innings of relief work for Upstate, allowing three hits but no earned runs with three strikeouts. Mathieu Curtis took a no decision, allowing four runs on four hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Chase Matheny worked a perfect ninth to end the game.

The Spartans had 15 hits, with Kyle Henington (3-for-5, 2B, RBI) leading that charge. Five different Upstate batters had at least two hits in the game.

Gardner-Webb will be on the road for its next five games, beginning on Tuesday at North Carolina (ACC Network Extra/WatchESPN.com).