SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Gardner-Webb (21-25, 8-11) baseball team jumped out to an early lead Friday night, but a pair of big innings from USC Upstate (15-25, 9-10) proved too much to overcome in a 16–8 setback in the series opener at Harley Park on Friday evening.
Gardner-Webb struck first in the opening inning, immediately applying pressure at the plate. The Runnin' Bulldogs plated two runs to take a 2–0 lead following RBIs from Kelvin Agosto and Drew Ripepi, setting the tone early and forcing Upstate to play from behind. However, the Spartans answered in the bottom of the second with a five-run frame to swing the momentum.
The Dawgs battled back in the middle innings. After Upstate added another run in the third, Gardner-Webb responded with two runs in the fourth to trim the deficit to 6–4 after a two-run blast off the bat of Zack Thompson. However, the Spartans answered with three runs of their own in the home half of the fourth, extending the lead back to 9-4.
The offense continued to produce in the fifth inning when the Runnin' Bulldogs pushed across two more runs to stay within striking distance.
Kelvin Agosto led the offensive effort for Gardner-Webb, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a home run. Alejandro Sanchez also delivered a big swing with a two-run homer, while Zack Thompson added a two-run shot and two RBIs. Merik Carter contributed two hits and scored twice as the Runnin' Bulldogs collected 11 hits on the night.
Despite the steady production at the plate, Upstate broke the game open with a decisive seven-run sixth inning that extended the lead into double digits. Gardner-Webb continued to compete late, adding two more runs in the eighth, but the deficit proved too large to erase.
On the mound, Ollie Ellison started for the Runnin' Bulldogs and worked 3.2 innings before the bullpen took over. Jerek Hobb, Jack Iannibelli, Josh Gentile, and Brendan Lysik combined to finish the game out of the bullpen as Gardner-Webb used five pitchers in the contest.
Gardner-Webb finished the game with eight runs on 11 hits and will look to bounce back as the series continues against USC Upstate on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
