Ninth-inning rally stuns Bulldogs

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – USC Upstate rallied for five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game and AJ Mackey's walk-off single in the 10th propelled the Spartans to an 8-7 victory over the Bryant University baseball team on Saturday afternoon at Harley Park.

The Bulldogs (1-4) held a commanding 7-2 lead heading to the ninth but the Spartans (5-6) scored four runs with two outs to erase the deficit on their way to a come-from-behind victory. The loss is just the second in the last three years for the Bulldogs when they have led after eight innings.

Trailing 7-2, USC Upstate started the ninth inning with three-consecutive singles off sophomore reliever Michael Marshall (Maynard, Mass.) to load the bases with no outs. Junior Trevor Lacosse (Watervliet, N.Y.) was summoned and struck out the first batter he faced before issuing a bases-loaded walk to make it 7-3. Following another strikeout, Tyler Lesch hit a 3-2 pitch into right-center for a three-run triple to bring the Spartans within one. USC Upstate would tie the game on the next batter as an infield error allowed Lesch to score from third. The Spartans won the game in the 10th with three-straight two-out singles, the last one a Mackey single through the right side.

USC Upstate grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Mackey and an RBI double from Justin Allen. Bryant immediately responded, tying the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Senior Tom Gavitt (North Stonington, Conn.) started the sixth with a single to left and advanced to second as the ball was misplayed. Sophomore Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) followed with a sharp single to center to score Gavitt and cut the lead in half. A sac bunt and a wild pitch moved Rinn to third before he was able to score the tying run on an infield throwing error.

Bryant would go on to score a single run in the seventh, two in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Sophomore AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) singled with one out in the seventh, moved to third on a Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) single and scored on a throwing error by the Spartans shortstop to make it 3-2. Bryant opened the game up with three doubles in the eighth inning. Sophomore Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) doubled to start the frame and freshman Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) and Zarozny stroked back-to-back doubles to push the lead to 5-2. In the ninth, Gavitt delivered an RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch to put Bryant up 7-2.

The Bulldogs had several chances to score early on in the game but were stymied by Upstate starter David Roseboom. St. George singled and Gavitt reached on an error to start the second before advancing on a sac bunt from Rinn. Roseboom escaped the danger as he induced a ground ball that resulted in St. George being thrown out at the plate and a strikeout. Bryant put its first two batters on again in the fifth before Roseboom got back-to-back ground outs to end the threat.

USC Upstate's ninth-inning rally erased a strong start from junior Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.). The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits and struck out five in six innings. McAvoy induced a double play in the second, stranded a runner at second with a strikeout in the fourth retired the final three batters of his outing after allowing a leadoff single in the sixth. Marshall retired the first six batters he faced before hitting trouble in the ninth. He allowed three runs on three hits and struck out two. Lacosse suffered his first loss since May 6, 2012, allowing three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings of relief.

Rinn and Zarozny both tied career highs with three hits to pace Bryant's 15-hit attack. Zarozny picked up a pair of doubles, while Albanese, St. George, Gavitt and junior Carl Anderson (Sudbury, Mass.) all finished with two hits. Gavitt scored twice and also drove in a run.

The Bulldogs and Spartans will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon.