CLINTON, S.C. ? Presbyterian College baseball scored eight runs in its final three innings to earn a 10-7 victory over USC Upstate on Tuesday afternoon at the PC Baseball Complex.
The victory improved the Blue Hose to 12-26 on the year, while USC Upstate dropped to 20-22 on the year with the loss.
Down 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth, PC scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull within one at 5-4. Jesse Harmon (Newberry, S.C.) doubled to left centerfield to plate the two runs. He scored Jared Combs (Pooler, Ga.) and Casey Carlson (Lexington, S.C.), who had reached base on a double of his own.
The Blue Hose then took the lead for the first time in the contest with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Robbie Anders (Greenville, S.C.) collected the first RBI of the inning and tied the game at 5-5 for PC when he singled in Zac Rhinesmith (Acworth, Ga.).
Nate Horton (Spartanburg, S.C.) then singled in Cory Lyda (Simpsonville, S.C.) to give PC the 6-5 advantage. Anders scored on the same play on an error by the USC Upstate rightfielder to give the Blue Hose the 7-5 lead.
PC kept its hot bats going in the bottom of the eighth with three more runs. Rhinesmtih picked up the first RBI for PC in the inning before he was brought home himself by Lyda's third triple of the 2008 season.
Anders collected another RBI shortly thereafter when he snuck the baseball inside the right field line to score Lyda and give PC its 10th and final run of the game.
USC Upstate opened the contest by scoring one run in the top of the first inning.
They pushed their lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning with two runs before PC plated two in the bottom of the frame to pull within one at 3-2.
Drew Wingo (Simpsonville, S.C.) acquired the two runs in the stanza for PC with his second home run of the year. The two-run home run also scored Steven Henry (Hoschton, Ga.), who had singled to start off the inning for PC.
The Spartans added two more runs in the top of the fourth to set their lead at 5-2.
The Blue Hose in total out-hit the Spartans 13-12. Four Blue Hose finished with multiple hits.
Lyda and Anders were both 2-for-5 in the game. Lyda had one RBI and scored two runs in the contest, while Anders had two RBIs and scored one run in the game.
Henry was 2-for-4 with one run scored, while Rhinesmith was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Zach Snipes (Belton, S.C.) picked up the win for PC from the hill. Snipes pitched the final five innings in relief of PC starting pitcher Jim Wagers (Blackstock, S.C.). The two combined for four strikeouts.
Tyler Oliver took the loss from the mound for USC Upstate in relief of starter A.J. Clark.
Andrew Runion led the Spartans at the dish. He was 3-for-4 overall with two RBIs and two runs scored. Runion hit his team-leading ninth home run of the year for the Spartans in the loss to the Blue Hose.
PC next travels to Fluor Field at the West End to take on the Clemson Tigers at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
The PC-Clemson game will be the 76th meeting between the two programs, but the first since the 1950 season.
