MOUNT VERNON, Ga. – The USCB softball team ran its winning streak to four games with a doubleheader sweep at Brewton-Parker on Monday.
The Sand Sharks held off a Barons rally for a 4-3 win in the first game and came back from a four-run deficit to claim an 11-7 victory in the nightcap.
USCB has won six of its last seven games.
GAME 1 – USCB 4, BPC 3
The Sand Sharks jumped out to an early lead when Brittany Olean swiped home on a double steal and Kayla Boyle added an RBI double in the first inning.
USCB added to the lead on Natassja Hatcher's RBI double in the fourth before Brewton-Parker plated three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie it.
The Sand Sharks broke the tie an inning later, as Marissa Becker tripled to lead off the fifth and scored on Boyle's sacrifice fly, and Abby Pac struck out the side and stranded the bases loaded in the sixth to preserve the lead.
Pac allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits while striking out nine in a complete game.
Bojangles' Player of the Game: Kayla Boyle (2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBIs)
GAME 2 – USCB 11, BPC 7
The Barons scored four runs in the third inning to take a 4-0 lead, but USCB chipped away with two in the fourth and plated nine in a huge sixth inning to take control.
The Sand Sharks sent 13 batters to the plate in the sixth and ripped seven hits in the frame, including two-run doubles from Becker, Taylor Boykin and Olean.
Brewton-Parker answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, including two on Victoria Winters' home run, but Naomi Catt shut down the Barons in the seventh to seal it.
Olean, Boyle, Hatcher and Boykin each had two hits, and Olean drove in three runs from the leadoff spot to lead the Sand Sharks.
Bojangles' Player of the Game: Brittany Olean (2-for-4, 2B, R, 3 RBIs)
FIN FACTS
USCB swept the Sun Conference weekly honors Monday, as Pac was named the Pitcher of the Week for the third time in four weeks and Cochran earned Player of the Week honors. … Becker recorded her 42nd career stolen base in Game 1 and is one behind Sammi Shaffren for USCB's all-time lead. … Olean extended her hitting streak to 12 games and has reached base safely in 14 straight. … Boyle had two hits in each game, her eighth and ninth multi-hit games of the season. She has 10 hits in her past four games. … Pac is averaging 6.5 strikeouts per seven innings, up from 5.1 last season.
UP NEXT
The teams will play again at 1 p.m. Friday in the opening game of pool play at the Gulf Coast Invitational. USCB will face Lyon (Ark.) in its second game of the day at 5 p.m. before concluding pool play against Mobile (Ala.) at 9 a.m. Saturday.
