CLERMONT, Fla. — The University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team wrapped up the NAIA Southern Challenge with a 3-1 record by splitting its games Saturday, beating Brewton-Parker (Ga.) 8-3 and falling 9-6 to Thomas (Ga.) at the National Training Center.

The Sand Sharks (8-2) kept up their hot hitting, ripping 29 hits in the two games including four home runs. 

USCB fell behind early against the Barons, who took a 2-0 lead on Heather Sutliff's two-run single in the first, but the Sand Sharks roared back with a 16-hit attack. 

Shelby Zipperer blasted a solo home run to spark the four-run second inning, during which Amanda Brown added an RBI double and USCB plated two unearned runs to take the lead. Chelsey Blasingame singled home a run in the third and a Brewton-Parker error brought home another run in the fourth for a 6-2 advantage. Maddie Byrd and Mariaha Sanborn smacked run-scoring doubles in the sixth to cap the scoring for USCB. 

Sophomore Ashlie Layman (4-0) allowed two runs on two hits over four innings for the win, improving to 15-0 in her career, and Kristy Cook gave up a run on two hits in three innings of relief for her first save of the season. Missy Hughes went 4-for-4 and scored three runs and Blasingame was 3-for-4 with an RBI. 

The Sand Sharks never led against Thomas, which posted a run in the first and two in the second for an early cushion. The lead evaporated when Sam Boland blasted a two-run home run and Whitley Martin added a solo shot to tie it in the second, but the Night Hawks moved back in front on Summer Rose's two-run homer in the third. 

The home run derby continued with Taylor Triplett's two-run blast in the bottom of the inning and USCB again tied it, but Brittney Mayhill's two-run single in the fourth put Thomas ahead for good. Carmen Nadal added a run-scoring single later in the inning to make it 8-5. 

Sanborn, who went 4-for-4, cut into the lead with an RBI single in the fourth, but Julia Cullinan led off the fifth with a homer and Thomas closed out the win. 

Caitlin Campbell (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing nine runs — five earned — in five innings, while Cook pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

The Sand Sharks return to action Friday, hosting Montreat (N.C.) for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.