Bucs held scoreless for first time at USC Upstate

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Charleston Southern baseball was held scoreless in the weekend opener at USC Upstate Thursday night, falling 8-0 at Harley Park in Big South Play.

Hayden Harris extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a 1-3 night at the plate for the Bucs.

USC Upstate (19-15, 8-5 Big South) opened the scoring with a run in the second as the Spartans took a 1-0 lead on an Easton Cullison double down the right field line.

The fourth, fifth and sixth frames were where the home team was able to pull away to enough to see it out the rest of the way.

An Adam Grub single in the fourth doubles the USC Upstate advantage before a three-run fifth make it a 5-0 game.

The sixth frame saw three more come across for the Spartans to round out the scoring in the opener and give USC Upstate starter Jacob Curry all the support he needed to toss the complete game. Charleston Southern (14-20, 6-7 Big South) was held to just four hits throughout the night and was kept off the board for the first time this season.

Tyrell Brewer led the game off with a single up the middle, but that was the only hit the Bucs would get until the third frame.

Hayden Harris’ knock came in the seventh to extend the streak to 18 games, and that would be all Charleston Southern would find.

Daniel Padysak (L, 1-2) gets the loss for Charleston Southern after working through four complete and surrendering just two earned on six hits and two punchies.

Zac Robinson was charged with the other six runs, four of them earned, after getting just four outs.

Sam Massey, Ryan Gleason and John Sendziak each saw work out of the bullpen as well for the Bucs, each having productive outings. Jacob Curry (W, 3-2) picks up the win after tossing the complete game shutout, holding the potent Charleston Southern lineup to just four hits. Curry surrendered no freebies and struck out six but was able to get timely ground balls to limit any momentum.

”One of the main keys to winning is dominant starting pitching, and #15 for Upstate was terrific,” said Head Coach Marc MacMillan. “I did like what I saw from Pady & Sendziak tonight as I thought both attacked the zone as well as they have all year.”

UP NEXT

Charleston Southern will battle USC Upstate in game two of the three scheduled across the weekend as Kaleb Hill is set to take the mound for the Bucs.

The 6:00 p.m. start time will carry to tomorrow as well, coming at Harley Park.