Hardeeville, SC-- The USCB softball team took both games from Sun Conference opponent Ave Maria University (Fla.) this afternoon, winning 7-0 and 1-0, to improve their season record to 24-9 and 4-4 in TSC play.
In game one the score was 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning before
Kaitlyn O'Hearn got things going for USCB. O'Hearn singled up the middle,
Kylie Kelly singled and
Caroline Heaton, pinch-hitting for
Carrie Cochran, reached on a throwing error which allowed her to advance to second because Kelly was caught in the 6-4 put-out on the play and O'Hearn was able to come home.Â
Heaton was able to steal third base on the next pitch before
Alexa Moore put the ball into play and reached on a Gyrenes fielding error at shortstop which also brought Heaton home. The defensive miscues continued for Ave Maria as a passed ball allowed
Emily Phillips, pinch-running for Moore, to score.
Melina Martinez found herself aboard first via base-on-balls.Â
Rachel Frankhouser then added an RBI-double, scoring a fourth run.
Taylor Boykin then stepped into the box and hit a two RBI-triple to score Martinez and Frankhouser. Boykin then found her way home from another passed ball before the Gyrenes were able to escape the inning.
In the circle,
Abby Pac earned the win, going 7.0 innings, and giving up three hits while striking out 10.
The second game of the double-header went five and one-half scoreless innings before O'Hearn was able to break the tie with an RBI-single to score Kelly, who reached on a single to center field before stealing second.
Pitching in the second game was
Canyon Crosby, who earned her 10th win of the season, while giving up three hits and striking out six batters.
USCB pitching was on fire today, as they held the Gyrenes, a team coming into today's games with a batting average of .317, into going only 6-49 at the plate. Highlights from game one are below.
The Sand Sharks will host the NAIA's number 1-ranked team, Georgia Gwinnett College, tomorrow for a double-header set to begin at 2 pm. With rainy weather threatening, please stay tuned to USCBAthletics.com, and our social media outlets on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, for the latest information on those start times.
