HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team ran its season-best winning streak to five games Friday, beating Ave Maria 10-6 in the opener of a three-game Sun Conference series at Richard Gray Sports Complex. 

Junior Erik Armstrong went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and junior DH Ryan Walker was 4-for-4 and scored twice to help the Sand Sharks (21-18, 11-11 TSC) solidify their standing in the race for one of the six spots in the Sun Conference Tournament. The loss ended Ave Maria's winning streak at five games. 

Leadoff man J.J. Crespo was 3-for-5 and Blake Cilwick and Ryan Doeppel each had two hits for USCB, which moved a game ahead of Thomas for sixth place in the conference standings. The Sand Sharks are 1 1/2 games behind fifth-place Southeastern, which plays at Northwood on Friday night. 

Senior Miles Galvin (3-5) earned the win, allowing six runs — three earned — on nine hits over six innings. The Sand Sharks put Galvin in line for the win with a three-run sixth inning, as they loaded the bases with the help of a Gyrenes error, and Armstrong cleared them with a three-run double down the left-field line. 

Senior Andrew Barrineau made sure the lead held up, working three scoreless innings for his team-leading fourth save. 

The Sand Sharks got off to a hot start, as Walker, Armstrong and Brandon Joyce ripped consecutive RBI doubles in the first for a 3-0 lead, but a 20-minute lightning delay at the end of the inning slowed the momentum.

The Gyrenes (31-16, 14-8 TSC) answered with three runs in the second and one in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead, but the pendulum swung back toward USCB in the fourth. Crespo singled home a run and took second on an error, then came around to score the tying run on Cilwick's RBI double. Terry McClinton's RBI single gave USCB a 6-5 lead after four.

A USCB error allowed the Gyrenes to tie it in the sixth, but Armstrong's big hit in the bottom of the inning put the Sand Sharks ahead for good and Mitchell Johnson added a sacrifice fly in the seventh. 

The series concludes with a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday. 

GAME NOTEBOOK: USCB pitchers did not issue a walk Friday, marking the second time this season they have not walked a batter. … Walker raised his average to .359, taking over the team lead. … Cilwick has hit safely in seven straight games and 20 of his last 21. … USCB leads the all-time series 6-1 and has won all four contests at Richard Gray Sports Complex.