HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – Jeremy Christian's debut as USCB's head baseball coach was a rousing success Wednesday, as the Sand Sharks were sharp in every facet of the game in a 19-4 rout of visiting St. Andrews at Richard Gray Sports Complex.
Every eligible position player on USCB's roster appeared in the game and 14 different players collected hits, as Christian took advantage of an early lead to display his team's depth.
USCB took a 1-0 lead in the first on Bobby Wenthe's sacrifice fly and took advantage of an error and a pair of passed balls to plate three runs in the second before breaking it open in the third. The Sand Sharks sent 13 batters to the plate in the 10-run third inning, which Alex Murphy capped with a grand slam to left-center to make it 14-0.
The Sand Sharks emptied the bench the next time through the order, but the offense kept rolling. Michael Grunder and Charlie McGinnis each knocked in runs in the fourth, and Grunder added a two-run single in the three-run fifth.
Murphy led the way with four RBIs, while Grunder went 2-for-2 with three RBIs off the bench. Thomas Estopare, Wenthe and Mclean Hartz each drove in two runs, and Noah Matthews, Kal Davis and Brandon Joyce joined Murphy and Grunder with multi-hit games.
The offensive outburst overshadowed a solid showing from the pitching staff, as junior right-hander Zac Burke limited the Knights to one hit and two walks over three scoreless innings to earn the win, and Nick Constan and Michael Biasello each worked a scoreless inning in relief.
Bojangles' Player of the Game: Alex Murphy (2-for-3, three runs, grand slam, four RBIs)
FIN FACTS
Estopare has reached base in 36 consecutive games dating to last season, while Davis has reached safely in 25 straight. … Eight freshmen, including four true freshmen, made their collegiate debuts for USCB. Three freshmen – Matthews, Grunder and Tristan Triplett – recorded their first career hits with Matthews and Grunder collecting two hits apiece.
UP NEXT
The Sand Sharks open Sun Conference play this weekend, hosting Southeastern for a three-game series at Richard Gray Sports Complex. Game 1 is slated for 2 p.m. Friday, and the series is scheduled to conclude with a doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday.
