CLEVELAND, Ga. – John Gora and Forrest Kirsch combined on a shutout and Kal Davis went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the USCB baseball team to a 5-0 victory Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Truett-McConnell.
Gora struck out six and scattered six hits over 5 2/3 frames but didn't factor in the decision after leaving with the game scoreless. The Sand Sharks broke the deadlock in the seventh, when Max Balter delivered a run-scoring triple and came home on Davis' sacrifice fly.
USCB left the bases loaded in the eighth but tacked on some insurance in the ninth, as Davis doubled in a run and scored on Nick Payne's RBI single before Josh Reinhart's sacrifice fly capped the scoring.
Kirsch, who threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the save in his USCB debut last weekend at Trinity Baptist, allowed one hit and two walks over 3 1/3 innings to finish off the shutout and pick up the win.
Balter went 3-for-5 with an RBI and scored a run, and Payne was 2-for-2 with an RBI and drew three walks. Brandon Joyce also walked three times and had a hit.
The series concludes with a pair of seven-inning games starting at noon Saturday. Julio De Pena is slated to get the start on the mound in Game 1 for USCB with Jamie Strock taking the mound to start the finale.
