HARDEEVILLE — An eight-day layoff didn't bother the University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team, as the 14th-ranked Sand Sharks beat visiting Edward Waters 8-0 and 6-0 to sweep a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday at Richard Gray Sports Complex. 

The Sand Sharks (32-6) were sharp in their final tune-up before a key stretch of six Sun Conference games in three days beginning Friday. USCB can claim a share of the conference title and the No. 1 seed in the Sun Conference Tournament by winning four of the six, and the Sand Sharks can win their second straight outright conference crown by winning five of six. 

USCB had little trouble taking care of the Tigers, as freshman Kendall Jumper and junior Kristy Cook combined on a three-hit shutout in the opener and sophomore Ashlie Layman and Cook teamed up for a five-hit shutout in the finale. 

The Sand Sharks jumped on top early in the opener, as Sammi Shaffren scored on a wild pitch in the first, Marissa Becker scored on an error in the third, and Missy Hughes and Shaffren knocked in runs in the fourth. USCB ended things early with four runs in the fifth, as Alexandria Simmons, Chelsey Blasingame and Hughes each drove in runs before Shaffren smacked an RBI single up the middle to invoke the eight-run mercy rule. 

Jumper (4-1) struck out five and allowed three hits and two walks over four innings, and Cook pitched a perfect fifth. 

USCB again struck early in the second game, with Taylor Triplett delivering an RBI single in the first, Hughes pushing across a run with a groundout in the second and Simmons smashing a solo home run in the third. Maddie Byrd drove in two with a single in the fifth and Simmons added an RBI single in the sixth. 

Layman (14-0) gave up just three hits and two walks over four innings to improve to 25-0 in her career, and Cook struck out three and allowed two hits over three scoreless frames for her third save. 

It wasn't all good news for USCB, though, as the Sand Sharks lost senior right fielder Melanie Goolsby to an ankle injury in the second inning of the first game. She will not be available when the Sand Sharks travel to Warner on Friday and play at Ave Maria on Saturday and at Thomas on Sunday.