HARDEEVILLE — The University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team opened its season in dominant fashion, beating visiting St. Andrews 8-0 and 10-2 in a pair of games shortened by the eight-game mercy rule. 

The Sand Sharks pounded 22 hits in the doubleheader and remained undefeated all-time on opening day. 

USCB's bats needed a little time to warm up in the first game, as Sam Boland singled home a run in the second inning and Maddie Byrd drove a two-run home run to the opposite field in the third for a 3-0 lead. 

The Sand Sharks finally broke it open with five runs in the sixth to invoke the mercy rule. Amber Williams tripled in a run and scored on Byrd's RBI single, Ashlie Layman added a pinch-hit RBI double and Whitley Martin ended the game with an RBI single. 

Kristy Cook settled in after a rocky first inning to pitch six scoreless frames, allowing six hits and striking out two. 

The offense came to life earlier in the nightcap, as Byrd launched a two-run blast more than 250 feet to center to spark a three-run first and Taylor Triplett's RBI double keyed a three-run third. 

After St. Andrews scored two runs in the fourth to cut it to 6-2, Shelby Zipperer picked up her second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The Sand Sharks pushed across three runs in the fifth to end it early, as Mariaha Sanborn smacked an RBI single, Williams scored on a passed ball and Triplett drove in Marissa Becker with the final run. 

Ashlie Layman earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits over four innings with five strikeouts and two walks. Allie Rogers pitched a scoreless fifth in her collegiate debut. 

NOTES: USCB hit .423 as a team (22-for-52) in the doubleheader. … Freshman INF Bailey Craven had an RBI single in her first collegiate at-bat in Game 2. … USCB had seven extra-base hits compared to one for St. Andrews.