HARDEEVILLE – The USCB baseball team chalked up another series victory and increased its lead atop the Sun Conference standings with a 5-2 victory over Webber International on Saturday at Richard Gray Sports Complex.
Julio De Pena struck out 10 over seven strong innings and Justin Kortessis drove in three runs to power the fifth-ranked Sand Sharks in the finale of the three-game series. With Keiser losing both ends of a doubleheader at Warner on Saturday, USCB holds a three-game lead over second-place Southeastern and is four games ahead of Keiser, Webber and St. Thomas. The Sand Sharks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the three teams tied for third and travel to Southeastern for a three-game series next weekend.
The Warriors took an early lead on Daniel Timmons' two-out, two-run bloop single down the right-field line in the second, but De Pena was dominant for the rest of his outing to keep the Sand Sharks in it.
Spot starter Ryan Labrador kept USCB's offense at bay for 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and three walks before running out of gas with one out in the sixth. The Sand Sharks jumped on reliever Bradley Burdett, who surrendered a single to Kal Davis and a double to Brandon Joyce before giving way to Jose Serrano with two outs in the inning. Kortessis greeted Serrano with a two-run single up the middle to tie the game.
Blake Drew relieved De Pena after a leadoff walk in the eighth and stranded the inherited runner at second, and the Sand Sharks took their first lead in the bottom of the inning. Thomas Estopare roped a single off Timmons outstretched glove at third base and took second on an error, and Davis brought him home with a single up the middle. Kortessis added an RBI groundout later in the inning and Max Balter squeezed home Joyce to make it 5-2.
Drew (2-0) earned the win, allowing one hit over two scoreless innings. Matt Kianka and Davis each had two hits and Davis and Joyce scored twice.
The Sand Sharks (33-6, 15-3 TSC) are scheduled to host Voorhees in a doubleheader at noon Wednesday before traveling to Lakeland, Fla., for a key Sun Conference series at Southeastern on Friday and Saturday.
