HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team won two games in its last at-bat Tuesday — but in very different fashions — as the Sand Sharks swept Point (Ga.) in a doubleheader with a 15-7 mercy-rule win in six innings and a dramatic 6-5 victory in eight innings at Richard Gray Sports Complex.

Sammi Shaffren's slicing single down the left-field line plated the winning run in the nightcap after the Skyhawks (5-9) had rallied with three unearned runs in the seventh to force the extra frame. 

The Sand Sharks (11-1) jumped out to a 4-0 lead and extended the margin to 5-2 on senior Caitlin Vaughn's pinch-hit home run in the sixth — a line-drive shot to left. 

Three USCB errors allowed the Skyhawks to tie it against reliever Becca Hewitt in the seventh, but starter Caitlin Campbell (4-1) returned to pitch the eighth and struck out the side after Point had runners at second and third with no outs. Shaffren made sure the Sand Sharks didn't waste a similar opportunity in the bottom of the inning, lining a shot the other way to plate Whitley Martin with the winning run.

The first game didn't involve such drama, but the Sand Sharks did have to stage a comeback. After Point scored five runs in the top of the fourth to take a 7-4 lead, USCB answered with six in the bottom of the frame. Shelby Zipperer's two-run single and Maddie Byrd's two-run triple were the biggest blows, and Taylor Triplett and Mariaha Sanborn added RBI singles in the big inning.

USCB tacked on four more in the fifth and ended it early on Alexandria Simmons' infield single with the bases loaded in the sixth. 

Katie Rietkovich and C.J. Browder each hit solo home runs in the opener. Triplett and Byrd both went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. 

Freshman Ashlie Layman (3-0) picked up the win with 2 2-3 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits. 

GAME NOTEBOOK: USCB junior OF Melanie Goolsby sat out with an injured right knee suffered Monday night against Columbia College. Goolsby, an All-Sun Conference player last season, is awaiting a definitive diagnosis but expects to miss significant time. … Rietkovich has five home runs in the past six games. … Vaughn's homer was her first as a Sand Shark. … Shaffren was 5-for-8 in the doubleheader, raising her average to .483. … USCB improves to 35-3 all-time at Richard Gray Sports Complex, including a 9-1 mark this season.