March 22, 2008

Final Stats

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - North Florida used 31 hits to outslug a 25-hit effort from the USC Upstate baseball team in an Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader sweep at Harmon Stadium on Saturday afternoon, taking the first game, 6-4, and the second, 11-4.

The losses spoiled several good individual days from the Spartans' offense with senior Casey Rivers (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) finishing the day 4-for-7 with four runs, junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) going 4-for-8 with a run and two RBIs and freshman Blake Green (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) going 4-for-9 with a run scored in the doubleheader. Green and Guillen each finished the series with seven hits as Upstate (10-12 overall, 7-5 A-Sun) took one of three from North Florida (11-10 overall, 5-7 A-Sun).

A five-run fifth inning that featured an Ospreys' grand slam by Andrew Hannon helped lift North Florida to a 6-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader.

After the Ospreys got on the board in the second inning, stringing together two hits for a run, the Spartans answered back by taking the lead in the top of the third. Green started the inning by dinking a single into right field and Guillen followed with a double that hopped over the drawn-in third baseman's head and landed just inside the line. Junior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) hit into a fielder's choice at the shortstop, who threw home, but a heads-up rundown by Green helped Simpson reach second to set up freshman A.J. Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian), who delivered a single past a diving first baseman for two runs.

The Spartans added another run in the third inning as Rivers singled to lead off. After two outs, Green singled through the 5.5 hole and Guillen knocked a single up the middle and Rivers was able to score on a play at the plate with a feet-first slide.

North Florida came back with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead, as three consecutive singles and an RBI walk helped make it one-run game for Andrew Hannon, who hit a grand slam over the left-field fence.

Upstate couldn't touch John Raiford from there until the ninth inning, when freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) doubled to right center with one out, taking him from the moung. Green singled up the middle and Guillen singled to right field to score Bisgounis. After a walk, the Ospreys got the final two outs with a liner and a strikeout, escaping the jam.

Chad Knight and Preston Hale each had three hits for the Ospreys, who pounded out 16 in the game. Travis Martin, Hannon, T.J. Gaudy and Andy Warren each added two hits. Hannon led the team with two runs and four RBIs.

Green and Guillen led the Spartans with three hits a piece. Guillen added a run and two RBIs and Clark posted two RBIs.

Raiford (2-0) pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and four runs to earn the win. He struck out three. Tyler Stohr picked up his fourth save of the year with 2/3 innings of work, striking out one.

Sophomore Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) (2-2) took the loss, allowing 11 hits and six runs. He struck out two. Junior Dennis McCraney (Catawba, S.C./Rock Hill) pitched three scoreless innings in relief, allowing five hits and a walk.

Ten North Florida runs in the first four innings were too much for Upstate to overcome in the second game, as the Ospreys posted an 11-4 win to close out the doubleheader sweep.

The Spartans scored a single tally in the second inning to make it 3-1, as Rivers led off with a single, took second on a grounder and scored on a two-out single from senior Kyle Bowley (Apopka, Fla./Apopka). They added another run in the fourth to make it 8-2, as Rivers and junior Tommy Shovlin (Merritt Island, Fla./Daytona Beach C.C.) hit back-to-back singles. After a fielder's choice moved Rivers to third, Bowley added another RBI single.

The Spartans scored their last two runs in the sixth, as Rivers hit his third single of the game and Shovlin followed with a double to right field. Bisgounis posted added an RBI single to score Rivers and Shovlin scored on a double play groundout.

Rivers led the Spartans as he went 3-for-4 with three runs and Shovlin, Bowley and senior Andrew Runion (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) each added two hits. Bowley added two RBIs.

Michael Gropper led the Ospreys by going 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Hannon went 2-for-5 with a run and three RBIs and Andy Warren, Preston Hale and T.J. Thompson each added two hits and two runs for the Ospreys. Travis Martin had two hits and two RBIs.

John Atteo (2-1) earned the win as he went five innings, allowing 12 hits and four runs. Phil Rorabaugh earned his first save of the season with four innings of two-hit relief.

Senior Scott Eckard (Lake Mary, Fla./Lake Mary) (2-3) pitched three innings in the loss, allowing nine hits and eight runs. He struck out three.

Upstate stays on the road during the midweek as they travel to the SEC's Tennessee for a 7 p.m. Tuesday game. Tennessee is the second team the Spartans will play this season that is receiving votes in national polls, along with Charlotte.