HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – The USCB baseball team split a doubleheader with No. 14 Georgia Gwinnett on a record-setting Saturday at Richard Gray Sports Complex.

Bobby Wenthe tied the USCB record for career home runs, Brandon Joyce broke the mark for career RBIs, and Alex Murphy became the single-season leader for hit by pitches as the Sand Sharks and Grizzlies opened their three-game series with a win apiece.

GAME 1 – USCB 8, GGC 3

Wenthe's three-run blast – his 13th of the season – capped a four-run first inning, and the Sand Sharks remained in control of the opener thanks to a strong performance from starter Wade Arduini.

Joyce added to the lead with a two-run double in the second, taking over the all-time lead on the RBI list. After Alex Garland's solo shot in the fourth pulled the Grizzlies within 6-1, Arduini worked out of a bases-loaded jam to preserve the five-run cushion and the Sand Sharks added two runs in the bottom of the frame on Kal Davis' RBI double and Wenthe's sacrifice fly.

Arduini struck out six and allowed one run and six hits over five innings, neutralizing one of the top offenses in the NAIA. 

Bojangles' Player of the Game: Bobby Wenthe (1-for-2, HR, 4 RBIs)

GAME 2 – GGC 13, USCB 4

The Grizzlies put up four runs in the first inning, only to see USCB rally to tie it before Georgia Gwinnett erupted for nine runs over the final four frames to pull away.

Murphy's two-run blast in the second and Mclean Hartz's RBI single later in the inning pulled USCB within 4-3, and the Sand Sharks tied it in the third.

Georgia Gwinnett put up three runs in the fourth, four in the sixth, and two in the seventh to break it open and even the series. 

Bojangles' Player of the Game: Alex Murphy (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBIs)

FIN FACTS

Wenthe's 13 home runs in his first season with the Sand Sharks are a single-season USCB record, and he pulled even with Erik Armstrong for the career lead. … Joyce surpassed the career RBI mark of 133 set by R.J. Neal from 2009-12, the first four year's of the program existence. … Murphy was hit by a pitch for the 14th time this season in game 1, surpassing Armstrong for the single-season USCB mark. … Wenthe has 62 RBIs, nine shy of Davis' single-season USCB record set last season. 

UP NEXT

The series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday. Live stats and video will be available at uscbathletics.com/live.