College of Charleston
USC Upstate
Baseball Hammers Five Home Runs in 20-3 Rout of USC Upstate
5/12/2010 1:00:00 AM | Baseball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) went 5-for-5 with three doubles and two home runs to propel College of Charleston to a 20-3 victory over USC Upstate Tuesday evening at Patriots Point. The 14 total bases for Leeds sets a program single-game mark, while his three doubles equals the Cougars' single-game record.
Leeds also became the first Cougar to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a single game since Shawn Lopez achieved the feat on March 27, 1994. His second-inning blast came right-handed off Upstate starter Austin Moyer, while his two-run shot in the fourth was left-handed off reliever Chris Knauff. Leeds broke the single-game total bases mark of 13 set by Lee Curtis against Virginia Military Institute on May 12, 2002 and tied the doubles record held by eight Cougars, most recently Austin Morgan on May 2, 2009.
Charleston (36-13) opened the game with a five-run first inning to set the tone for the evening. Sophomore RF Thomas Brittle (Cross, S.C./Berkeley) reached on a fielding error by Upstate 2B Joe Barnes and advanced to third on a single to right by junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando). A sacrifice fly to left by senior 2B Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) brought home Brittle and a RBI double to right by Leeds scored Rakar for a 2-0 lead. Sophomore LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) drilled a 0-1 pitch over the wall in left for a two-run home run, his 12th of the season and one batter later, senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) connected on a 2-2 pitch to right, his 14th round-tripper of the year.
The Cougars continued to hammer Upstate starter Austin Moyer in the second frame, scoring three runs on a RBI double by Bergman and Leeds' two-run blast to right center. Upstate (16-34) plated a pair of runs in the top of the third on a two-run homer to left by Jimmy Tanner to cut the Charleston lead to 8-2.
A RBI double by Rakar and Leeds' second two-run homer of the evening plated three runs for the Cougars in the fourth to increase the lead to 11-2. The two team traded single runs in the following two innings, Upstate scoring on a solo home run by Brian Dempsey in the fifth and Charleston plating a run in the sixth on a RBI single by Rodriguez.
CofC closed the door for good in the seventh, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs for the 20-3 final score. With the bases loaded, Rakar roped a three-run double down the right-field line and after Bergman walked, Leeds drove home Rakar with a RBI double to left. A sacrifice fly by Blake plated another run and junior DH Kolby Epley (Yadkinville, N.C./Forbush) blasted a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left for a three-run shot to close the offensive barrage.
Charleston pounded out 19 hits, 11 for extra bases, on the night. Brittle, Rakar and Rodriguez each had three hits, while Rakar added four RBI and Brittle scored four times. Junior starter Josh Salay (Rock Hill, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College) earned his second win of the season, scattering four hits over five innings and allowing three runs with five strikeouts. Three Charleston relievers combined to shutout the Spartans over the last four innings, holding them to one ninth-inning single along the way.
Moyer took the loss for Upstate, allowing 10 runs, nine earned, on nine hits in 3.1 innings.
Charleston returns to action Wednesday evening with a non-conference game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
