HARDEEVILLE — The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team ran its winning streak to seven games by opening Sun Conference play with an 8-7 win over visiting Warner on Friday at Richard Gray Sports Complex. 

The Sand Sharks (9-1, 1-0 TSC) took a six-run lead to the ninth inning and held on when junior closer Blake Drew needed only one pitch to record the final out and strand the tying run for his fourth save. Senior right-hander Junior Delatorre (2-0) pitched eight strong innings for the win, striking out seven and allowing two runs on seven hits. 

Senior outfielder Kyle Thompson went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run, senior designated hitter Zack Holt was 1-for-2 with three RBIs and scored a run and freshman outfielder Zack Saldivar was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI to power the offense. 

The Sand Sharks took advantage of a two-out error to plate three runs in the first, opening the scoring on Holt's two-run double to the gap in left-center and adding another on Saldivar's RBI single. Holt tacked on a sacrifice fly in the third to make it 4-1. 

It was 4-2 when USCB put together a four-run sixth inning that included RBI singles from senior catcher Alex Bonilla and Thompson. 

The Royals rallied in the ninth and had the tying run at first when Drew came in to close the door, getting Jose Quintana to ground out to second to end it. 

The series concludes with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. 

NOTES: USCB's 9-1 start is its best since going 11-1 to open the 2011 campaign. … Sand Shark starting pitchers have not allowed more than three earned runs in any game this season. … Saldivar has hit safely in nine of USCB's 10 games.