LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The USCB baseball team landed the first punch, but the fifth-ranked Sand Sharks wound up on the wrong end of a slugfest in the opener of their three-game series against top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett on Friday. 

The Sand Sharks scored five runs in the top of the first inning but couldn't hold down the Grizzlies, who rallied for a 14-8 win in the first game of the non-conference showdown. 

USCB stunned Grizzlies ace Nikolay Uherek in the first inning, as the first four batters reached base before Nick Payne delivered a two-out, RBI double and Justin Kortessis followed with a two-run homer for a 5-0 lead.

Georgia Gwinnett answered with three runs in the first only to see the Sand Sharks respond with Kal Davis' RBI double and Brandon Joyce's run-scoring single in the second to make it 7-3. The Grizzlies chipped away with two in the second and two in the third to tie it, then broke it open with a five-run fourth inning. 

Relievers Tyler Oglesby and Michael Royal were able to shut out the Sand Sharks the rest of the way by repeatedly working out of jams. USCB left the bases loaded in the sixth and stranded two men in scoring position in the seventh. 

Matt Kianka went 3-for-5 and scored twice, Payne had two hits and two RBIs, and Joyce was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead USCB. 

John Gora (7-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing 12 runs – seven earned – in 3 1/3 innings. Zach Massengale, Forrest Kirsch and Colin Tindall combined to allow two runs – one earned – over 4 2/3 innings of relief.

The series concludes with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.