HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – The USCB softball team went 2-0 on the opening day of the NAIA Southeastern Challenge, earning two comeback victories over opponents from the Southern States Athletic Conference on Thursday at Richard Gray Sports Complex.
The Sand Sharks were one of three teams who won both of their games Thursday, as USCB rallied for a 6-3 victory over Faulkner (Ala.) in its first game of the day and knocked off No. 10 William Carey (Miss.) 3-2 in the day's final game.
The Mid-South Conference went 4-0 on Day 1, as No. 8 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and No. 12 Campbellsville (Ky.) won both of their games. The Sun Conference was 3-1, while the Southern States Athletic Conference was 1-3 and the Appalachian Athletic Conference went 0-4.
Seven of the eight games on Day 1 were decided by three runs or fewer, including three one-run contests.
GAME 1 – USCB 6, Faulkner 3
Kayla Boyle delivered a tie-breaking two-run double and Lauren Weidig followed with a two-run single to break it open in a four-run seventh inning.
The Sand Sharks trailed 2-0 early on Kendall Bennett's sacrifice fly in the first and solo home run in the third, but freshman pitcher Jordan Roney didn't allow another hit until the seventh. Roney struck out seven and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in a complete game to improve to 3-0.
Taylor Boykin and Alexa Moore each had two hits and scored a run for the Sand Sharks, and Kaitlyn O'Hearn added an RBI.
Bojangles' Player of the Game: Kayla Boyle (1-for-3, R, SAC, 2B, 2 RBIs)
GAME 2 – USCB 3, No. 10 William Carey 2
Abby Pac racked up 10 strikeouts and limited the Crusaders to two runs and seven hits in a complete game. Pac worked out of major jams in the second and third with minimal damage but didn't allow a hit after Mary Blair Odom's leadoff double in the fourth. She struck out seven over the final four innings, including a swinging strikeout to end the game.
Marissa Becker, Boyle and Brittany Olean each had two hits and an RBI to lead the offense for the Sand Sharks. Olean beat out an infield single with two outs in the fourth to spark the decisive rally, as Boykin, Becker and Boyle followed with consecutive singles to push across two runs and give USCB the lead.
Bojangles' Player of the Game: Abby Pac (7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K)
FIN FACTS
Boyle is 7-for-13 with 11 RBIs during a four-game hitting streak. … Becker is riding a six-game hitting streak and has reached base in every game this season. … O'Hearn has hit safely in six straight games after going 0-for-2 in her first two games.
UP NEXT
The Sun Conference and the Mid-South Conference will go head-to-head Friday, with the Sand Sharks facing No. 8 Lindsey Wilson at 12:30 p.m. and No. 12 Campbellsville at 5:30 p.m.
