HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - To kick off Sun Conference action, the USCB softball team settled for a split, 4-3 and 9-3, versus RV Coastal Georgia on Wednesday at Richard Gray Stadium.

INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Ally Muraskin - seven innings, win, eight hits, three runs, two walks, eight strikeouts

Zinia Hampleton - 2-for-3, inside-the-park two-run home run, two runs

Devon Weller - 2-for-4, two singles

Kaleigh Furbush - 1-for-2, RBI

Bri Dunn - 1-for-3, RBI

HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED

The first two innings went quietly for both squads, but both teams had chances to score in the third. Coastal Georgia had two runners on base, but Muraskin left both Mariners on base.

In the home half of the third, USCB put up two runs on base to take the 2-0 lead. Rachel Frankhouser started the rally with a six-pitch walk. Following a sacrifice bunt, Hampleton cracked an inside-the-park homer to left field. 

The Mariners cut the deficit in half in the fourth with a one-out single - 2-1.

One inning later, CCGA knotted the game at 2-all, as Bryce Peacock cracked a run-scoring triple.

The Sand Shark offense regained the lead in the home half, as Dunn cracked a RBI single. Hampleton, Weller and Dunn accounted for the run, as the three Sand Sharks tallied back-to-back singles.

In the back-and-forth game, the Mariners responded again in the top of the sixth to make the game 3-3.

To take the lead for  the third time, USCB took the one-run advantage, 4-3, as Furbush cracked a run-scoring, RBI single.

To put the game away in the seventh, Muraskin mowed down the CCGA lineup - 1-2-3 - to seal the 4-3 win. 

INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Francie Gaskin - 2-for-4,  two singles

Amber Locasto - 1-for-1, single, one RBI

Rachel Frankhouser - 1-for-2, single, RBI

Dunn - 1-for-3, one run

HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED

After a scoreless top of the first, USCB's offense erupted for three runs to take the commanding lead, 3-0. Weller and Dunn walked to start the frame. After a fly out, Gaskin blooped a single down the left field line to force the bases loaded. Amber Locasto poked a RBI single to take the 1-0 lead. After an out, Frankhouser tallied a RBI single, and a second runner scored thanks to a Mariner throwing error. 

Maria Molloseau held Coastal Georgia scoreless in the second and third innings, but CCGA broke that stretch with a solo run in the fourth. 

Coastal Georgia took its first lead of the day with a four-run fifth inning, 5-3. 

The Mariners added to their lead in both the sixth and seventh innings, as they added four more runs to take the six-run lead - 9-3.

USCB couldn't mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, as it settled for the split in the Sun Conference opener.

RECORDS UPDATE

USCB - 9-7 overall, 1-1 Sun Conference

RV Coastal Georgia - 10-2 overall, 1-1 Sun Conference

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Sand Sharks will play their first road TSC games of 2021, as they travel to Webber International on March 20. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for noon in Babson Park, Fla.