HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – The USCB baseball team split a doubleheader with visiting Ave Maria on Friday to open a three-game Sun Conference series at Richard Gray Sports Complex.

GAME 1 – USCB 13, AMU 3 (7 inn.)

The Sand Sharks plated 12 runs in the third inning, with Alex Murphy's grand slam capping the outburst, and never let the Gyrenes back in the game. 

Wade Arduini limited Ave Maria to three runs (one earned) and eight hits in a complete game, striking out six. 

The Gyrenes scored a pair of unearned runs in the third inning, but USCB answered in a big way in the bottom of the frame. The first four Sand Sharks to the plate in the third recorded hits, and USCB collected nine hits in the inning, including a two-run double from Brandon Joyce and Murphy's towering grand slam to left-center. 

Joyce had four hits, while Kal Davis and Bobby Wenthe added two hits apiece and Davis scored three runs.

Bojangles' Player of the Game: Brandon Joyce (4-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBIs)

GAME 2 – AMU 9, USCB 8

The Sand Sharks built a 4-1 lead after two innings, as Wenthe opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first and USCB plated three in the second on RBI singles by Tristan Triplett and Joyce and Thomas Estopare's RBI triple. 

Ave Maria chipped away with Rico Soto's RBI double in the third and Andy Hernandez's second home run of the game in the fourth to cut it to 4-3, and the Gyrenes plated four runs in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead.

Murphy pulled one run back with an RBI single in the fifth, and the Sand Sharks tied it in the eighth when Estopare doubled home a run and scored on Joyce's RBI single.

A throwing error thwarted a potential inning-ending double play ball and led to two runs in the ninth for the Gyrenes, and the Sand Sharks pulled within one on Murphy's RBI single in the bottom of the inning before leaving the tying run at first. 

Estopare, Murphy and Nick Payne each had three hits, and Joyce, Wenthe and Triplett added two hits apiece for the Sand Sharks.

Bojangles' Player of the Game: Thomas Estopare (3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBIs, SB)

FIN FACTS

Joyce had four RBIs in the doubleheader, giving him 124 in his career – second-most in USCB history and nine behind leader R.J. Neal (133). … Payne surpassed 100 career hits with four hits in the doubleheader, raising his career total to 102. … USCB stole five bases Friday and has swiped 45 bags in its past 15 games. 

UP NEXT

The series concludes with a single game beginning at noon Saturday. USCB will recognize nine seniors in a pre-game ceremony at 11:45 a.m.