HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - Behind a three-run home run from Canyon Crosby in game one and an 11-run first inning in game two, the USCB softball team swept both games, 3-1 and 16-3, over Southeastern for key Sun Conference victories on Wednesday at Richard Gray Stadium.
INSIDE GAME ONE'S BOX SCORE
Crosby - 1-for-3, three-run home run, three RBIs, one run
Taylor Boykin - 1-for-3, one single, one run
Shania Domingue - 0-for-2, one walk, one run
Abby Pac - seven innings pitched, one run, one walk, four strikeouts, 111 pitches
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
The first game of the doubleheader against the Fire was ultimately decided in the first inning. Boykin started the first inning with a single to short, and after a strikeout and a Domingue walk, Crosby crushed a three-run homer to right to put the Sand Sharks up 3-0.
Southeastern tried to rally in the third and fourth innings. The Fire left two stranded in the third and eventually scored their first run of the game in the fourth off a Cheyenne Benson-Ross RBI single up the middle.
USCB's starting pitcher, Pac, was stellar in her start, and she moves to 8-4 on the year following her complete game. She scattered nine hits and only allowed one run to score. She also forced the Fire to eight batters left on base.
INSIDE GAME TWO'S BOX SCORE
Kyla Boyle - 2-for-2, double, single, three RBIs, four runs, two walks
Rachel Frankhouser - 3-for-4, one RBI, three runs
Natassja Hatcher - 3-for-3, one RBI, one run
Kaitlyn O'Hearn - 1-for-3, two RBIs, one run
Domingue - 1-for-2, three RBIs, one run
Boykin - 1-for-2 two runs, one walk
Maria Molloseau - five innings, six hits, two earned runs, one walk, two strikeouts, 89 pitches
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
Similar to game one, the game was decided in the first inning, despite SEU plating the game's first run in the top of the first.
USCB's offense came out firing in the bottom of the first with 11 runs on seven hits. In fact, the Sand Sharks scored five straight runs with the bases loaded and no outs. Up 5-1, USCB continued to pad it's lead with a bases-loaded hit by pitch from Haley Hawkins, a RBI single from Frankhouser, a two-RBI double from Boyle and a two-RBI double from Domingue.
SEU added a run in the top of the third to make the contest 11-2. However, USCB retaliated with two runs in the bottom of the third to push the lead to 11, 13-2.
The Sand Sharks added three more insurance runs in the fourth, as Boyle had another RBI hit and Heaton connected with a RBI groundout.
The Fire tried to attempt a fifth-inning rally but could only scratch across a run to give the Sand Sharks the 16-3 win.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 33-7 overall, 13-5 in The Sun Conference, 25-1 at home
Southeastern - 22-23 overall, 6-10 in The Sun Conference
WHAT'S NEXT?
After playing eight straight home games (went 7-1), USCB will now hit the road for eight consecutive contests. To open the road swing, the Sand Sharks will stop in Montreat, N.C. to square off with the Cavaliers for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13. First pitch is slated for noon.
