BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb (16-28, 5-13) baseball team suffered a series sweep at the hands of visiting USC Upstate (24-21, 11-4) after falling in game three of the weekend by the final of 12-3 on Sunday afternoon at Bill Masters Field.

Upstate took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, plating a single run without recording a hit after three walks and a hit-by-pitch allowing Vance Sheahan to touch the dish for the game's first run.

However, the Runnin' Bulldogs took their first lead of the series in the home half of the first after scoring two. Merik Carter doubled down the left field line to start the frame before moving to third on a base hit through the left side off the bat of Ryan Kennell. After a stolen base, Nick Capozzi drove in both runs with a sharp line drive to right.

That score remained until the top of the fifth where Upstate regained the lead following a two-out, two-run homerun by Scott Newman, pushing the Spartan back ahead by one midway through the contest.

The lead did not last long as Gardner-Webb came back in the bottom of the fifth with a single run while knotting the score at 3-3. Carter doubled with two outs before a soft single to center by Ryan Kennell allowed the tying run to cross the plate.

USC Upstate blew the game open in the visiting half of the sixth, pushing across six runs on four hits, including RBI knocks by Johnny Sweeney, Preston Lucas, and Wylie Waters. Two more runs in the top of the ninth after a two-run homer to left by Scott Campbell landed the score at its final, 12-3, in favor of the Spartans.

Gardner-Webb returns to action on Tuesday, April 29 with a trip to Cullowhee, N.C. to face the Catamounts of Western Carolina in non-conference action. Game time is set for 5 p.m.