LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — One bad inning did in the University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team on Friday, as the Sand Sharks fell 6-1 in the opener of a three-game series at Georgia Gwinnett. 

The Grizzlies (15-3) scored all six of their runs in the second inning and received a strong performance from starter Alex Roberts and three relievers to limit the Sand Sharks to four hits. 

JJ Crespo went 2-for-4 and drove in USCB's only run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Brandon Joyce and Korey Ahrens each added one hit for the Sand Sharks (9-6). 

USCB starter CJ Kelly (1-2) worked out of a jam in the first and was close to escaping trouble in the second when the Grizzlies put together a big rally. A sacrifice fly from Phillip Bates brought home the first run and Georgia Gwinnett pushed across five more with two outs in the inning. Ty Abbott's three-run triple off the right-field wall capped the big inning. 

Kelly settled in to pitch two more scoreless frames and Stephen Richards shut out the Grizzlies for four innings while allowing one hit and three walks, but USCB couldn't muster a comeback.

The Sand Sharks had opportunities to cut into the lead but couldn't come up with timely hits. They had two men in scoring position with one out in the third but didn't score, then left the bases loaded in the fifth and stranded two more in the seventh. 

The series concludes with a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday.