SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford baseball team jumped in front with three first-inning homers Tuesday evening at Russell C. King Field, and despite a mid-inning push by USC Upstate to tie the ballgame, the Terriers pushed back with a four-run sixth en route to a 10-5 triumph. Wofford improves to 23-15 as Upstate drops to 19-18.
 
Wofford takes the season series over its crosstown foe after claiming this match-up and the prior meeting on April 1, which was a 5-2 Terrier victory at Fifth Third Park in the stadium's first-ever baseball game.
 
Five Terriers pitched in the contest with Sheldon Egger receiving the starting nod. He hurled 2.2 innings with four strikeouts and three runs before Michael Sills also tossed 2.2 innings. He allowed two runs on one hit with five punchouts. Carter Rasmussen (3-1) picked up the win as the fourth hurler, going 1.2 innings with just a hit and no runs. Alec Bouchard polished off the final 2.0 frames with no runs or hits surrendered. He walked two and struck our three. The strikeout pitch was in full effect for Wofford with 12 combined strikeouts.
 
"To be honest, since I threw on Sunday I wasn't feeling great, but I did what I had to do and got the job done with my pitches," said Bouchard. "Same thing with Carter there, threw on Sunday so just fighting through it and giving me a chance to do my thing was good."
 
Upstate reliever Juan Reyes (1-1) suffered the loss after giving up two runs on a pair of hits in 2.0 innings of action.
 
The Terrier offense surged in the contest with 14 hits, doubling up Upstate's total of seven. Ryan Wynn recorded a 4-for-4 day at the dish with four RBI, and a hit-by-pitch put him on base five total times. One of Wynn's hits was a two-run homer, hit fourth of the season. Niko Brini added three hits to match his career high, collecting an RBI with a solo homer, his third of the campaign. He added a double to finish a triple short of the cycle. James Layman was the third Terrier with a multi-hit affair, notching two with two RBI.
 
Andrew Mannelly's lone hit was his fourth long ball of the season, a solo shot. Tyler Hare added an RBI with a double. On the basepaths, Layman swiped two bags to reach 20 steals on the season. Wynn also swiped a pair, and Ben Timblin added a steal for five total Terrier swipes.
 
"I think we were just putting together good at-bats," said Wynn of the offensive outpour. "The pitchers kept us in the game and just gave us a chance to work, and that's all we ask for."
 
The game opened with the makings of a home run derby as the winds were whipping early. Wofford opened the game with five runs in the bottom of the first, all coming via the long ball. Niko Brini opened the scoring with a lead-off solo shot that traveled 396 feet to right center. Later in the frame with a runner on, Ryan Wynn clubbed a two-run bomb 411 feet to dead center. Next up was Andrew Mannelly, who connected on a pitch for a 396-feet clout to center, making him and Wynn the first Terriers with back-to-back home runs in almost a full year (David Wiley and Tyler Hare, April 20, 2024). The home run barrage alongside a run-scoring error by Upstate, provided an early 5-0 lead for Wofford.
 
"It was good to get everyone going again," said Brini of the explosive first inning. "We've been going through a little bit these last few games, so it was good to get our offense back on the field."
 
Upstate got in on the long ball parade with a two-run blast in the second and a solo shot in the third, cutting its deficit to 5-3.
 
The winds died down from there and the homers quieted, but the Spartans found two more runs in the top of the sixth. A wild pitch plated one run, and a sacrifice fly brought in the tying score for a 5-5 affair.
 
Wofford wasted no time pulling back in front with a four-run frame in the bottom of the sixth. Cade Collins and Brini hit back-to-back singles, and David Wiley wearing a pitch loaded the bases for James Layman. The junior delivered a single to push across a pair, regaining the lead for Wofford. Back-to-back doubles later in the inning by Tyler Hare and Wynn plated two more, making the score 9-5 for the Terriers.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Wofford scored an insurance run when Wynn singled up the middle to bring Tyler Bak home. The Terriers carried a 10-5 lead into the ninth, where Alec Bouchard clutched up and closed out the ballgame for the Wofford win.
 
The Terriers return to conference play this weekend with a short turnaround. Wofford hits the road for three games in Cullowhee, North Carolina, against Western Carolina beginning on Thursday, April 17. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m. The series is moved up a day from the usual Friday-Sunday slate due to this Sunday being Easter. All three games are set to be streamed on ESPN+ with Saturday's tilt being simulcast locally on The CW 62.