HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team finished a perfect weekend of Sun Conference play with a hard-earned sweep of Embry-Riddle, winning 7-6 in 10 innings and 11-3 in five innings on Sunday at Richard Gray Sports Complex to maintain the top spot in the conference standings. 

Coming off a huge sweep of defending conference champion Webber International on Saturday, the 17th-ranked Sand Sharks were guarded against a letdown against first-year program Embry-Riddle, and the Eagles provided quite a challenge in the opening game. 

After C.J. Browder's two-run home run in the first inning and Maddie Byrd's RBI single in the third staked USCB starter Kristy Cook to a 3-0 lead, the Eagles tied it in the fourth on Dee Espinosa's bases-clearing double down the left-field line. 

RBI singles from Taylor Triplett and Missy Hughes put the Sand Sharks back on top, but Embry-Riddle again rallied with two in the sixth to tie it at 5. 

Espinosa struck again with a home run to left field in the top of the eighth, and the Sand Sharks were down to their final out in the bottom half when Browder's high fly ball to shallow center dropped in for a run-scoring single to keep them alive.

Left-hander Caitlin Campbell (7-3) came on to pitch two scoreless innings in relief, and catcher Amanda Brown picked off the go-ahead runner at third base in the top of the 10th to give USCB a chance to win it.

Junior Alexandria Simmons obliged with a single to left field, and pinch-runner Ashlie Layman raced home with the winning run just ahead of a throw to the plate. 

Browder was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Taylor Triplett and Mariaha Sanborn each had three hits to pace USCB in the opener. 

Having withstood the upset-minded Eagles' best shot in the opener, USCB jumped out early in the second game and led 6-0 through two innings. Embry-Riddle tried to mount a rally, scoring twice in the third, but USCB answered with a three-run third capped by Katie Rietkovich's home run for a 9-2 advantage.

Sam Boland's RBI single in the fifth ended the game early on the eight-run mercy rule. 

Simmons was 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the second game to lead the offense. Rietkovich also had two RBIs, and Boland, Byrd, Mariaha Sanborn and Whitley Martin also drove in runs.

Layman (7-0) scattered 10 hits and allowed three runs — one earned — in a complete game for the win.

The Sand Sharks face a key road trip next weekend, playing Sun Conference doubleheaders at Northwood at 1 p.m. Saturday and at St. Thomas at 1 p.m. Sunday.