LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - To conclude the 2019 regular season, the USCB baseball team downed No. 3 Georgia Gwinnett, 10-8, behind late pitching and clutch hits throughout the regular-season finale on Sunday at the Grizzle Baseball Complex.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Noah Matthews - 2-for-3, one double, one run
Cole Hamilton - 1-for-3, one RBI, one walk
Bragg Eastin - 1-for-1, one single
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
The No. 3 team in the country opened the scoring in the home half of the first with a lone run off two hits. Brandon Frazier laid down a squeeze bunt to score Cam Coursey for the game's first run.
After a scoreless second, USCB tied the game at 1-1. Matthews started the frame with a double down the left field line. After two outs, Hamilton connected with an infield single to score his teammate and tie the contest.
Georgia Gwinnett answered in the bottom of the third with a lone run with one out, as C.J. Ballard scored on a groundout to give GGC the 2-1 lead.
USCB had a prime opportunity to score in the top of the fifth, but it left three runners stranded. GGC walked the bases loaded with two outs, but the Sand Sharks couldn't capitalize in the inning.
After a run in the fifth, Georgia Gwinnett recorded three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the 6-1 lead. Highlighting the frame was a Ballard two-RBI double.
Eastin connected with a pinch-hit single in the seventh for USCB, but that was all the Sand Sharks could record in the final inning.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Bobby Wenthe - 2-for-4, four RBIs, one run, two walks
Chris Vazquez - 3-for-5, one double, two RBIs, one walk
Hamilton - 2-for-5, three runs, one walk
Robbie McKinney - 2-for-3, three runs, three walks
Steven Mojica - 2-for-5, one run
Wyatt McCampbell - 4.1 innings, win, three runs, five hits, three strikeouts
Harrison Merck - 0.2 innings, save, no runs, no hits
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
Similar to game one of the doubleheader, Georgia Gwinnett jumped out to an early four-run lead.
After a quiet second inning, USCB made it a one-run game, 4-3, in the third. Tavaris Terrell cracked a double and later scored on Hamilton's run-scoring hit. After a fielder's choice and an error, Wenthe cracked a single through the left side to score Hamilton and McKinney. Vazquez followed with a double with no outs, but the next three Sand Sharks went down in order.
In the top of the fourth, USCB's offense exploded again with another trio of runs to take the 6-4 lead. Following a single from Kevin Smith and back-to-back walks, Wenthe connected with a single through the right side to plate two runs. Vazquez carried the momentum with a RBI single of his own to take the two-run lead.
Unfortunately in the home half of the frame, GGC knotted the game at six apiece.
The Grizzlies made a pitching change in the top of the sixth, and the Sand Sharks added a run to regain the advantage, 7-6. Eastin drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Hamilton from third.
USCB added one more insurance run in the top of the seventh to advance the lead to two, 8-6. Smith connected with a sacrifice bunt, which gave Mojica enough time to score from third base.
The Sand Shark offense didn't stop there, as it added a pair of runs in the top of the eighth. Vazquez recorded a run-scoring hit to center, and Nick DelBianco connected with a sacrifice fly to give USCB a three-run cushion.
The number three team in the country didn't give in, but the USCB pitching staff held the Grizzles to two runs in the final two frames to seal the 10-8 victory.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 22-31 overall
No. 3 Georgia Gwinnett - 40-11 overall
