Columbia
USC Upstate
Baseball Holds Off USC Upstate in Nightcap, 7-5
3/20/2015 6:44:00 PM | Baseball
BOX SCORE (.html) | BOX SCORE (.pdf)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Columbia baseball team held off USC Upstate, 7-5, to take the nightcap of a doubleheader. The Lions (5-9) scored three times in the eighth to break a 3-3 deadlock, but had to buckle down as the Spartans (8-13) threatened in both the eighth and ninth innings.
Gus Craig finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI to lead the offense.
The Lions manufactured a run in the third inning after a single by Will Savage and walk to Shane Adams. Both runners moved into scoring position on a double-steal and Jordan Serena grinded out a 10-pitch at bat that resulted in an RBI groundout.
Two batters later, Gus Craig punched a single into leftfield to make it 2-0.
The Spartans got both runs back in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on an error, followed by a single and a balk to put runners on second and third with no outs. Both runners eventually came in, unearned, on sacrifice flies.
Columbia went back in front in the fifth, rallying with two outs in the frame. Gus Craig and Nick Maguire each singled to set up John Kinne, who dropped another base-hit into left to give the Lions a 3-2 cushion.
In the bottom of the sixth, USC Upstate drew even again after a couple of unorthodox plays. With a runner on first, Daniel Fickas reached on a fielder's choice when Savage was late covering the bag at second base. The next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt that squirted behind a charging Adam Cline to load the bases. Cody Brittain then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, allowing the tying run to score.
With a runner on third, Joey Falcone made a diving catch moving towards the line in left to prevent any further damage.
Spartan pitching issued two walks to begin the eighth and Serena reached on a bunt single that the USC Upstate pitcher could not glove to fill the bases with no outs. Falcone and Craig were then each hit in the arm by pitches to plate a pair of runs. A Nick Maguire sac fly made it 6-3 after seven and a half frames.
In the bottom of the eighth, a base on balls and hit batter brought the tying run to the plate with no outs. Matthew Ratner entered the game and forced a fly out and inning-ending double play to preserve the three-run cushion.
Columbia capped its scoring in the ninth when Savage extended a single into a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and was knocked in by Adams on a long fly ball to right.
However, Charlie Carpenter led off the Spartans last at-bats with a triple and scored on a sac fly. A walk and hit chased Ratner from the game and the Lions went back to Matt Robinson, who earned the save in game one.
Pinch hitter Jaden Savage earned a walk to load the bases, but David Vandercook made a diving stop at third to get the second out and Robinson took care of Daniel Fickas with a strikeout for the final out.
Zack Bahm earned his first collegiate win (1-0), tossing an inning of scoreless relief. Cline threw six innings, allowing just one earned run to go with four strikeouts.
The Lions and Spartans will continue their series Saturday, March 21, for a single game at 1 p.m.
