Fort Myers, FL-USCB jumped out to an early lead in their Sun Conference Tournament game verse #1 ranked Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, but was unable to hold on as they lost the game 13-5 to open tournament play.  The Sand Sharks will now await the loser of St. Thomas and Webber International for their second game in the double elimination tournament.  The game will start on Wednesday, May 4^th at 11:00 am and can be heard, live, on The Sun Conference website.

 

First-Team All-Conference Pitcher, Dexter Price, got the start for the Sand Sharks, and was hoping to defeat ERAU for the second time this season.  The Sand Sharks came out hot against ERAU and jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.   Embry-Riddle scored a run in the fifth, but USCB added three more in the bottom half to go up 5-1, which held through six innings.  Price gave up two runs, one earned, and nine hits through his six innings of work before leaving the game. 

 

Offensively, the Sand Sharks were led by David O'Neil and Ty Main with two hits, each, on the day.  O'Neil also scored one run and drove in another for USCB.  Spencer Jackson continued his hot hitting by going 1-for-3 on the day, scoring two runs, and driving in another.    Gabe Torres also added two RBI's on the day for the Sand Sharks. 

 

ERAU was able to score one run in the seventh, six runs in the eighth, and five more in the ninth to go up 13-5 on USCB and put the game out of reach.  Michael Heesch got the loss, now 5-5,  for the Sand Sharks in throwing 1.2 innings of relief. 

 

The Sand Sharks are now 27-20 on the season and will continue Sun Conference Tournament play on Wednesday, May 4^th.  The double-elimination tournament will run through Friday, May 6^th at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, FL.