CLEVELAND, TN-If a person not familiar with USCB baseball had witnessed the Taylor University grand slam home run in the top of the tenth that put the Taylor Trojans ahead 7-3, they surely would have been scurrying for the exits. But as is a very familiar happening for those in the know, the “never say die” Sand Sharks resurfaced with two outs in their half of the tenth frame to score five runs and came away with a dramatic 8-7 victory in their first game of a NAIA Regional being held at Lee University. The win puts the Sand Sharks in the winner's bracket of the five team double elimination regional tournament. They will now play the winner of Tuesday's final game between William Jewell and Lee on Wednesday at 3:30.
 
With two out in the bottom of the tenth inning with DeShontay Berry on second base, USCB hitters connected for four consecutive hits. Spencer Jackson's single drove home Berry to cut the Taylor margin to 7-4. Brandon Collins, RJ Neal, and TJ Kemp then each produced rbi doubles to tie the score at seven apiece. After an intentional walk to Zach Rossetti and a fielder's choice by Blake Sanders loaded the bases, pinch hitter Brett Wheeler drew a base on balls scoring Brandon Cooksey, who was running for Kemp, giving the Sand Sharks their first ever post season win in their short two year history.
 
The Sand Sharks jumped on Taylor starter Travis Carsten early scoring single runs in the first two frames. Larry Perry singled in the first and later scored on a Spencer single. Rossetti doubled with one out in the second inning then came around to score on a Sander's single giving USCB a quick 2-0 lead..
After the Trojans tied the contest with single runs in the third and fifth innings, the Sand Sharks again took the lead in the sixth as Neal and Rossetti both doubled giving USCB a 3-2 lead.
 
Taylor tied the contest an inning later knotting the score at 3-3 that eventually would send the contest into an extra inning. The Trojans loaded the cases in the top of the tenth before Rhett Goodmiller blasted a bases clearing home run giving Taylor a 7-3 lead just before the Sand Sharks tenth inning heroics notched the USCB win.
 
The Sand Sharks starting pitcher, Kyle McCullough, went 6 2/3 innings scattering eight hits and three runs. Andres Castro came on in relief and worked his way out of a couple of jams. Spencer Cromer and Ryan Kroko worked the tenth inning for the Sand Sharks with Kroko getting the victory.
 
The win gives USCB a 39-13 record for the season. The Sand Sharks are vying for a spot in the NAIA World Series to be held May 28 to June 4 in Lewiston, Idaho. Each of the nine, five team regional winners will receive a bid to the national tournament.