SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Two five-run innings carried the USC Upstate Spartans to a 15-6 win over the North Carolina A&T at Harley Park on Saturday afternoon in Big South Conference baseball play.
Redshirt sophomore right-hander Jake Delisi (L, 0-3) got the start on the mound for A&T and blanked the Spartans through the first two innings.
The Aggies struck first in the visitor's third when graduate infielder Alec Seaton sent his second home run of the year over the left center wall. The frame also featured an RBI single from sophomore Camden Jackson to put A&T up 2-0.
Upstate replied with five runs on five hits in the home half, including back-to-back doubles from Easton Cullison and Grant Sherrod that plated three runs. However, a&T fought back in the fourth.
Junior Bret Mersman led off with a rocket that left the park in a hurry in right center, his first career home run as an Aggie. Freshman catcher Canyon Brown, who had a nice day at the plate, followed with a double down the left field line. Brown also had a triple in the second inning, his third of the year.
Sophomore TJ Ash moved Brown to third on a sacrifice bunt, and then a fly out to center field from Seaton allowed Brown to score. Junior Cameran Brantley walked and eventually came around to score thanks to a pair of wild pitches to tie the game at 5.
It didn't last long, however, as Nathan Myers's sacrifice fly in the home half gave the Spartans the lead for good. Upstate added another run in the fifth before a five-run sixth increased its lead to 12-5.
Adam Grob's two-out single to left center plated two more runs. A couple of batters later, Devin Buckner tripled to score two more.
A&T would get one back in the seventh.
Jackson led off with a single, and sophomore Chet Sikes's double moved him to third. Brown smacked a grounder to shortstop that allowed Jackson to score, making it 12-6.
The Aggies couldn't muster much else offensively, and a three-run bomb from Buckner in the eighth all but put the game away.
Matthew Murphy (W, 1-0) picked up his first win of the year after throwing just a third of an inning, giving up one hit and recording a strikeout.
Buckner paced the Upstate bats with his 2-for-3 line, including a home run, a triple and five RBI. Cullison and Grob each added three RBI apiece.
Jackson posted a team-high three hits for A&T, while Seaton led the way with two RBI.
