SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A pivotal three-run sixth lifted the USC Upstate Spartans to a 6-3 victory over the North Carolina A&T baseball team inside Harley Park in Big South Conference action on Sunday afternoon.
The Aggies (12-26, 1-14) struck first in the fourth inning on the second straight day as graduate infielder Alec Seaton hit an RBI single. The Spartans (25-16, 13-5) tied the game in the fifth when Devin Buckner grounded out to A&T shortstop Anthony Hennings, scoring Adam Grob.
Upstate kept the bats going in the sixth with a three-run, five-hit frame.
Grob singled up the middle to score the first two runs, and then Buckner's bases-loaded single through the left side plated yet another, extending their advantage to 4-1.
Noah Rabon gave the Spartans their largest lead of the day at four, 5-1, on a seventh-inning solo home run, but the Aggies responded in the eighth.
Junior Bret Mersman led off with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Freshman Canyon Brown walked, and then sophomore TJ Ash singled through the right side to score Mersman. Seaton laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that straddled the third base line as it advanced both runners into scoring position at second and third.
Freshman Sabin Roane followed with a single through the left side to score Brown from third and cut the deficit to two, 5-3. But unfortunately, two groundouts ended the threat and got the Spartans out of the inning without more damage done.
In its eighth inning, Upstate got a big insurance run on an RBI infield bunt single from Nathan Myers, making it 6-3.
Sawyer Worrell picked up the save after striking out the game's final two batters to seal the victory for the Spartans. Kevin Davis got the win on the mound after throwing 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out seven.
Sophomore righty-hander Xavier Meachem (L, 1-3) suffered the loss in an otherwise impressive start, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs on three hits with seven strikeouts. Mersman paced the Aggie bats with his 1-for-2 line that included a double, two runs scored and three walks drawn.
Buckner and Grob, like they did all weekend, led the way for Upstate, combining for three hits and four RBI.
