MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -  The USCB baseball team scored first in game one of Friday's doubleheader with Florida Memorial but fell, 4-1. In game two, USCB's offense exploded for 10 runs, and Brian Bromley twirled a complete-game shutout to earn the split at Harry T. Moore Field in the Sun Conference opener. 

INSIDE THE GAME ONE SCORE

Nick Milhan - 2-for-4, double, single, one RBI

Kyran Russ - 1-for-4, double

Alexander Humphrey - one single each

Matt Malatesta - five innings, six hits, three runs, seven strikeouts

Donavan Huneck - three innings, two hits, one run, no walks, two strikeouts

HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED

After stranding two Lions on base in the bottom of the first, USCB opened the scoring in the top of the second with a one-run inning. Humphrey connected with an infield single, and Russ put two runners in scoring position with a double down the left field line. Milhan plated Humphrey via a RBI ground out to take the lead, 1-0.

The Lions quickly knotted the game in the home half of the first off two hits and one error. Josue Sanchez earned the RBI via a run-scoring double. 

FMU quickly took its first lead of the game, 3-1, in the bottom of the third with a no-out, two-RBI homer. Jacquel Perry smacked the homer for the Lions, while Yunior Sanchez also scored on the play following his leadoff single. 

Malatesta settled in for the fourth and fifth innings, as he didn't allow the Lions to score thanks to a two-inning, no-hit stretch.

The Sand Shark offense had a key chance to tie the game in the top of the fifth, as it started the frame with two straight runners reaching base safely - Milhan double and a TK Kennedy hit-by-pitch. Unfortunately, the next three Sand Sharks went down in order to strand the two Sand Sharks on the base paths.

Huneck carried the pitching success into the sixth frame, as he worked a 1-2-3 inning.

An inning later, Florida Memorial added an insurance run after the seventh inning stretch to take the three-run lead, 4-1. 

After a quiet eighth inning for both teams, USCB threatened to plate runs in the ninth via two-out magic. Clint Sellers walked to start the rally, and Milhan singled to put two runners on base. However, both Sand Sharks were left stranded again to give FMU the 4-1 win.

INSIDE THE GAME TWO SCORE

Castro - 4-for-5, home run, double, four RBIs, one run

Milhan - 3-for-4, three singles, one RBIs, one walk, one run

Russ - 2-for-3, double, single, three RBIs, one run

Tavaris Terrell - 2-for-4, two singles

Bromley - complete-game shutout, seven innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, nine strikeouts

HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED

Like game one, USCB scored the game's first run, as the Sand Sharks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Wesley Ambrose started the inning with a walk, and Milhan followed with a single up the middle. The Sand Shark duo successfully double stole, and Humphrey followed with a sacrifice fly.

In the next inning, USCB added on two more runs to take the three-run lead. Justin Owen reached base on an error, and he moved into scoring position via a stolen base. Russ plated his teammate off a ringing double to left center, and Searles scored Russ on his run-scoring single though the left side.

Castro tacked on one more run in the top of the fourth when Castro unleashed his second home run of 2021 to give USCB the 4-0 advantage.

The Sand Shark offense continued its impressive prowess in the fourth inning, as it put up a crooked number - four runs - to double its lead. Milhan connected with a RBI single, and Castro made it hurt with a bases-clearing, three-RBI double to make it an 8-0 game.

Following a scoreless fifth frame from both clubs, The Sand Sharks added two more insurance runs off a two-RBI single from Russ. The base knock plated Owen and Humphrey, who were both in scoring position. 

Bromley continued his hot hand on the bump, as he capped off the complete-game shutout for USCB. 

TEAM RECORD UPDATES

USCB - 5-4 overall, 1-1 The Sun Conference

Florida Memorial - 0-5 overall, 1-1 The Sun Conference

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Sand Sharks and Lions will square off in the rubber match on Saturday, Feb. 13 at noon.