Date Posted: 3/30/2008

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Battling a team that entered the day in a tie for second place in the Atlantic Sun Conference, the upstart USC Upstate baseball team used a dazzling pitching performance from sophomore Matt Branham (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) for a 4-0 win in game one and a walk-off hit from junior Kyle Simpson (Lyman, S.C./Byrnes) for a 5-4 win in game two to sweep visiting Jacksonville on Saturday at Harley Park.

Upstate (14-14 overall, 9-6 A-Sun) rallied in the ninth inning to score a run after Jacksonville tied the game at four in the top of the inning in the second game. Freshman Keith Bisgounis (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) came around to score from second base on a base hit to short left field by Simpson. The throw to the plate was on a line, but Bisgounis was able to slide into the catcher and knock the ball away for Upstate's third walk-off win of the season.

Jacksonville (15-10 overall, 8-7 A-Sun) scored the first run in the top of the first inning in the second game, but Upstate tied the game in the bottom of the inning, as freshman A.J. Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian) singled under the second baseman's glove and senior Andrew Runion (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) hit a ball into the right field corner for a triple.

The Dolphins took a 3-1 lead in the third inning thanks to three hits and a two-RBI single from Jeremy Gillan. Meanwhile, Jacksonville starter Tim Brown was in control, allowing just one runner to reach from the second to the fourth innings. However, in the fifth, Upstate closed the gap to 3-2, as Bisgounis singled to center field to lead off, setting up freshman Reed Lishen (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach), who delivered his first collegiate hit through the left side. Junior Eric Guillen (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks) laid down a bunt and was able to reach after a fielding error to load the bases for Simpson, who lifted a sac fly to center.

Upstate took the lead in the sixth as Runion led off with a single up the middle and senior Casey Rivers (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) followed with a triple to the right field corner just past a diving first baseman. Sophomore Jimmy Tanner (Fayetteville, Ga./Stars Mil) followed with a double down the left field line that went just past a diving third baseman.

The Dolphins threatened in the seventh inning, as the leadoff batter walked, but after a failed sacrifice bunt led to a strikeout, the runner was caught stealing. The next batter was walked, but Upstate senior pitcher Scott Eckard (Lake Mary, Fla./Lake Mary) caught the runner looking to steal and picked him off.

In the eighth, the Spartans once again worked around trouble. After a leadoff single, sophomore Tyler Oliver (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) took the mound and got a sac bunt, a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the jam. Jacksonville finally broke through in the ninth. After Simpson made a nice running catch by the fence in left field in foul territory, Oliver struck a batter out. However, the Dolphins then mounted their rally, with Matt Dobbins drawing a walk on a full count. Glenn Witkowski pinch ran and when Thomas Myers lifted a pinch-hit single that blooped in front of a diving Bisgounis in right, Witkowski never stopped running on the way to the plate.

Upstate answered in the bottom of the frame, with Bisgounis reaching on an error to lead off. Lishen moved Bisgounis to second on a sac bunt. After a strikeout, Simpson delivered the looper to left to score the winning run.

Tanner went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Runion went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Upstate, who posted 10 hits in the game. Simpson drove in two runs and Bisgounis scored twice. Kevin Ferreira had two hits and two runs and Kyle Fleming also added two runs for the Dolphins.

Related Links:
 • Full Article at UpstateSpartans.com