HARDEEVILLE — The University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team took over the top spot in the Sun Conference standings in convincing fashion Friday, sweeping eighth-ranked Thomas 3-1 and 8-0 at Richard Gray Sports Complex to run its winning streak to 12 games. 

The 22nd-ranked Sand Sharks (22-8, 8-0 TSC) avenged an earlier loss to the Night Hawks with an impressive showing, as Kristy Cook tossed a three-hitter and Maddie Byrd knocked in two runs in the opener, while Ashlie Layman threw a three-hit shutout and Byrd blasted a grand slam in the finale. 

Cook struck out four — giving her 452 in her career — and gave up one run over seven innings, to improve to 13-2. She was only in trouble once, when Carmen Nadal's fly down the left-field line dropped in for an RBI double. 

Byrd had a two-out RBI single in the third and a two-out RBI double in the fifth, and Marissa Becker added a run-scoring double in the sixth. Sammi Shaffren and Shelby Zipperer each added two hits apiece for USCB.

Layman (5-5) was terrific in her first start since returning from an arm injury, striking out five and allowing three hits and two walks in a six-inning shutout. 

The Sand Sharks broke it open with a seven-run fourth inning, as Sam Boland and Whitley Martin delivered RBI singles and Becker scored on an error before Byrd's grand slam capped the big inning. Boland added an RBI single in the sixth to end the game via the eight-run mercy rule.

Shaffren, Martin, Boland and Mariaha Sanborn each had two hits for USCB.

The Sand Sharks play non-conference doubleheaders at Middle Georgia on Tuesday and at Coastal Georgia on Friday before returning home for a Sun Conference matchup with Webber International at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.