GREENWOOD-----The USC Upstate baseball team held off Lander's ninth-inning rally Sunday to claim a 7-6 Peach Belt Conference victory over the No. 25 Bearcats at Legion Field.
Upstate, which claimed two of the three games in the weekend series, improves to 17-15 overall and 4-8 in the PBC, while Lander slips to 21-11, 6-6.
Kyle Bowley (2-2) earned the victory for the Spartans, striking out one, walking two and allowing five runs (one earned) on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work. Bradley Banks was credited with his seventh save of the season, striking out five, walking one and allowing one earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched.
Lander David Glover (1-3) took the loss, striking out four, walking two and allowing six earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Brad Hay struck out four, walked two and allowed one run on three hits in 3.2 innings of relief.
Upstate took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Michael Kohn singled, advanced to second on Matt Goyea's single and went to third on an error by Lander third baseman Kevin Davis. He scored on Bret Story's groundout.
Lander tied the game at 1-1 in the second when Davis singled, advanced to second on Gabe McCann's sacrifice bunt and to third on a Ryan Brisby single. He scored on Jarred Altus' sacrifice bunt.
The Spartans regained the lead at 2-1 in the third when Brad Wingo reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on Bret Hansen's walk then went home on Kohn's RBI single. Upstate extended the lead to 3-1 in the fourth when John Cadell doubled to left field, advanced to third on Wingo's sacrifice bunt and scored on Hansen's sacrifice fly to right field.
Upstate added three runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-1 lead. Bowley doubled to centerfield, advanced to third on Story's single and scored on Runion's double to center. Kory Morian, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on a passed ball which advanced Runion to third. Runion later scored on Wingo's single up the middle.
Lander cut the Upstate lead to 6-5 four runs in the sixth. McCann singled and advanced to second on an error by Upstate left fielder Wingo. He then scored on Jonathan Myers single to left field. Jones scored on an error another Wingo error. Radley Raven and Myers later scored on Adam Hutchins' two-RBI single.
The Spartans made it 7-5 in the ninth when Hansen walked, advanced to third on Kohn's double and scored on Goyea's sacrifice fly.
James Compo scored Lander's final run in the ninth when he doubled, advanced to third on Davis' single and scored on Jones' RBI single.
For Lander, Compo went 1-for-3 with one run scored; Hutchins went 2-for-4 with two RBI; and Davis went 2-for-5 with one run scored.
For Upstate, Caddell (1-for-4, one run scored), Kohn (4-for-5, one run, one RBI), Goyea (2-for-3, one RBI), Bowley (1-for-5, one run) and Runion (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) all doubled.
