HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - In game one of the doubleheader, USCB baseball used solid pitching from Matt Malatesta and Eamonn Collins, 6-1, but the Sand Sharks settled for a doubleheader split, as they lost the second game, 6-3, on Saturday at Richard Gray Stadium.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE SCORE
Malatesta - five innings, win, two hits, one run, six strikeouts
Collins - two innings, save, one hit, one run, one strikeout
Wesley Ambrose - 2-for-3, double, two RBIs, run
Tavaris Terrell - 1-for-3, single, two RBIs,
Brock Thibodeaux - 1-for-2, single, two runs
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
USCB and Mid-Atlantic Christian struggled for offense for the first four innings, but the Sand Sharks had chances to score in the first and second frames, as USCB combined for three runners left on base.
Eventually in the fifth frame, USCB's offense erupted for four runs off four hits. Tim Wood collected the game's first run off a sacrifice fly, and two batters later, Terrell connected with a two-RBI single to center. The next batter - Kyran Russ - cracked a run-scoring single to take the 4-0 lead.
The Sand Sharks tacked on two more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Ambrose put the game out of hand, 6-0. Alexander Humphrey smacked a pinch hit triple, and Thibodeaux followed with a six-pitch walk to put two runners on base. After putting Thibodeaux into scoring position, Ambrose tallied the two-RBI single to give USCB the lead.
MACU tried to mount a comeback in the sixth, but Collins minimized the damage to one run to win the game, 6-1.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO SCORE
Leandy Castro - 2-for-2, home run, double, RBI, run
Humphrey and Terrell - single and run each
Brian Bromley - five innings, three earned runs, four strikeouts
Micah Krieghauser - 1.1 innings, one earned run, two strikeouts
Collins - 0.2 innings, one hit, no runs, no walks, one strikeout
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
MACU took its first lead of the doubleheader in the first inning when it tallied three hits and took advantage of an error to go up by two, 2-0.
The Sand Shark offense struggled for the first three frames, but in the bottom of the fourth, the Sand Sharks took their first lead of the second game, 3-2. Castro started the rally with a solo blast to right center. Russ plated Humphrey via a throwing error, and USCB took the lead on a wild pitch on the next at-bat.
Just an inning later, Mid-Atlantic Christian regained the lead with one-out magic. The Mustangs scored on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly to take the one-run lead, 4-3.
MACU added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh with a one-out rally. With the two-run seventh, the Mustangs took the 6-3 lead.
USCB was able to put two runners on base in the final frame when Castro and Russ reached base via a walk and a hit-by-pitch, respectively. Unfortunately, the two Sand Sharks were left in scoring position in the three-run loss.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 9-8 overall
Mid-Atlantic Christian - 5-4 overall
WHAT'S NEXT?
USCB and MACU will conclude the four-game, non-conference series on Sunday, Feb. 28 at Richard Gray Stadium. First pitch of the doubleheader is schedule for noon.
