HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – The USCB baseball team used a solid all-around performance to sweep a doubleheader from the College of St. Joseph (Vt.) on Saturday at Richard Gray Sports Complex, winning 10-1 and 6-1 to claim three of four in the non-conference series.
GAME 1 – USCB 10, CSJ 1
The Fighting Saints struck first on Brian Quezada's RBI single in the first, but Justin Kortessis shut out St. Joseph the rest of the way and the Sand Sharks broke it open late.
Thomas Estopare's sacrifice fly scoring Noah Matthews tied it in the bottom of the first, and a pair of errors led to three USCB runs in the second before Bobby Wenthe's RBI single in the third made it 5-1.
The Sand Sharks tacked on three more runs in the fifth, as Michael Grunder was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Matthews plated a run with a sacrifice fly, and another run scored when Brandon Joyce reached on an error.
Nick Payne added an RBI single in the sixth, and Wenthe followed later in the inning with an RBI double.
Kortessis struck out eight and allowed one run, four hits, and two walks in a complete game.
Wade Arduini was 3-for-3 and scored twice, and Wenthe, Payne and Kal Davis added two hits apiece.
Bojangles' Player of the Game: Wade Arduini (3-for-3, two doubles, two runs, walk)
GAME 2 – USCB 6, CSJ 1
The Fighting Saints again opened the scoring with a Quezada RBI single in the first, but USCB's pitching staff again shut them down the rest of the afternoon.
USCB took control with three runs in the first, scoring when Arduini drew a bases-loaded walk, Joyce came home on a wild pitch, and Alex Murphy lifted a sacrifice fly
The Sand Sharks added a run in the third on Michael Grunder's RBI groundout, and Davis plated two with a double to left-center in the sixth to pad the lead.
Zac Burke pitched six strong innings for the win, allowing one run and four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Michael Biasello worked around a single in a scoreless seventh.
Bojangles' Player of the Game: Brandon Joyce (3-for-4, triple, two runs)
UP NEXT
The Sand Sharks host Ave Maria for a three-game Sun Conference series next weekend. The series is scheduled for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and a single game at noon Saturday with Senior Day ceremonies to precede Saturday's contest.
