HARDEEVILLE — The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team was unable to finish off a three-game sweep of visiting Northwood (Fla.) on Saturday, falling 13-3 in the finale of the Sun Conference series at Richard Gray Sports Complex.

The Sand Sharks (18-19, 8-13) fell into a three-way tie with the Seahawks and Warner for the sixth and final berth in the Sun Conference Tournament. The trio are one game behind fifth-place Webber International. 

USCB compiled 12 hits, including two apiece from the Nos. 2-6 hitters, but had two men caught stealing and left eight on base. One of the few highlights for the Sand Sharks was Matt Kianka's first home run in a USCB uniform — a two-run blast to right to tie it at 2 in the third. 

It was a 4-2 game until the Seahawks plated three runs in each of the last three innings to break it open. Northwood smacked 20 hits against seven USCB pitchers. Starter Ben Sauls (1-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing seven runs — six earned — on 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out seven. 

The Sand Sharks travel to Columbia on Tuesday for a doubleheader against NCAA Division II Benedict before resuming conference play next weekend with a three-game series at Ave Maria (Fla.).