HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The one the University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team turned in an impressive season-opener Saturday, sweeping the visiting University of Northwestern Ohio in a doubleheader at Richard Gray Sports Complex.

The Sand Sharks won a 16-11 slugfest in the opener and routed the Racers 12-3 in the nightcap to improve to 10-1 all-time on opening day. 

Michael Johnson went 7-for-10 with four RBIs in his USCB debut while fellow newcomer Johnny Cole was 4-for-7 with two doubles and three RBIs and redshirt freshman Zack Saldivar went 4-for-8 with two RBIs and two runs in his collegiate debut. Senior shortstop Ashly Morris also had a big day at the plate, going 4-for-8 with four runs and four RBIs, and senior leadoff man Kyle Thompson was 3-for-10 and scored five runs. 

Senior right-hander Junior Delatorre picked up the win in the opener, allowing three runs over five innings with four strikeouts, and junior Jamie Strock was terrific in his USCB debut in the second game, shutting out the Racers over six three-hit innings. 

The Sand Sharks used a six-run second inning and an eight-run fifth to build a 15-3 lead in the first game before holding off UNOH's rally against the USCB bullpen. Johnson led the charge at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, while Morris went 3-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs, Cole was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs and Thompson was 2-for-5 and scored four runs. 

USCB used another big inning to break open the second game, scoring nine runs in the third and building a 12-0 lead before the Racers pushed across three runs in the seventh. Strock breezed through six innings to earn the win and Johnson went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run to lead the offense. Zack Holt and Saldivar each added two hits, a run and an RBI and Thompson knocked in two runs. 

The teams conclude their series with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday. 

NOTES: Freshman SS Mclean Hartz and junior OF Chaztin Venezia each singled in the first at-bat of their USCB careers in Game 2. … Morris (64) moved into 10th on USCB's all-time list for runs and moved into 10th on the career list for hits with 95. … Delatorre earned his 11th career win, fifth-most in program history.