SPARTANBURG----Led by Eric Barrett's home run, Lander scored three runs in the sixth inning in the second game of Saturday's Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader against USC Upstate and the Bearcats went on to post a 7-6 victory and gain the split at Harley Park. USC Upstate won the first game, 14-13. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
Upstate is now 28-19 this season, 12-12 in Peach Belt Conference play, and Lander moves to 16-31, 5-19 in conference play.
In game two, Lander jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning including a RBI triple by third baseman Adam Young, but the Spartans took a 3-2 lead with three runs, two coming on Bearcat errors, in the third. Upstate added to its lead with three more runs in a fourth inning that saw Kyle Simpson hit a two-run inside-the-park home run, for a 6-2 lead.
Barrett was the catalyst in a three-run sixth inning for Lander by leading it off with a home run and with the Bearcats down to their last three outs in the seventh, first baseman Jesse Barbaro doubled in a run to tie the game and Altus gave his team the lead with a run-scoring single that proved to be the game-winner.
Simpson led Upstate going 1-for-3 with three RBIs and junior designated hitter Kyle Bowley was 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored. Senior pitcher Bradley Blanks (2-2) took the loss despite striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings.
Altus, Barbaro, and McLeod were each 2-for-3 with a RBI to lead the Bearcats and Young was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Pitcher Daniel Hinchberger (6-5) got the win pitching a complete game giving up six runs on four hits and struck out five.
In the first game, Upstate broke a 10-10 tie by scoring four runs with two outs including a go-ahead home run by Jimmy Tanner and held on after Lander rallied with three runs in the ninth inning for a 14-13 win.
After the 18th-ranked Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one, Lander plated five runs in the top of the second including a pair of RBI doubles by catcher Eric Barrett and first baseman Jesse Barbaro for a lead. Upstate rallied with three runs in the bottom of the second and took the lead in the fifth with six runs including RBI singles by Tanner and John Caddell for a 10-5 lead.
Lander scored four runs in the seventh inning, three coming on bases-loaded walks, and tied the game at 10-10 in the top of the eighth on a run-scoring single by designated hitter Malcolm McLeod. After Tanner's two-out homer in the bottom of the eighth, Casey Rivers brought two runs in on a double and Andrew Runion plated another run on a single for a 14-10 lead.
The Bearcats refused to go away scoring three runs in the ninth inning including a two-RBI single by McLeod, but with runners on first and second with two outs, Justin Hayes got second baseman Jared Altus to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game.
Tanner was a perfect 5-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored to lead Upstate and sophomore second baseman Eric Guillen was 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Runion finished 1-for-4 with three RBIs and Caddell was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Hayes (3-1) picked up the win.
Shortstop Brendan O'Connor was 4-for-6 with two RBIs and four runs scored to lead Lander and McLeod finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Relief pitcher Justin Altman (4-4) took the loss.
