HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - Behind five home runs from Leandy Castro (two), Kyran Russ, Clint Sellers and Alexander Humphrey, the USCB baseball team swept Ave Maria, 6-2 and 10-5, to win the series over Gyrenes on Friday afternoon at Richard Gray Stadium.

INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Castro - 2-for-3, solo home run, one RBI, three runs

Nick Milhan - 2-for-4, two singles, two RBIs

Sellers - 2-for-5, double, one RBI, one run

Humphrey - 2-for-4, two singles, one run

Daniel Searles - 1-for-4, one RBI

Matt Malatesta - six innings, win, two hits, one run, four walks, nine RBIs

Payton MacPherson - three innings, save, two hits, one run, one walk, five strikeouts

HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED

After striking out the side in the top of the first, USCB opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a solo run. Castro accounted for the run, as he cranked a solo home run over the left field fence. 

After four quiet offensive innings, the two clubs plated runs in the sixth inning. Anier Ricardo tied the game at 1-all in the top of the first, but Humphrey and Searles regained the lead for USCB in the bottom of the inning thanks to RBI singles. 

Up 3-1, the Sand Sharks plated three runs to take the five-run advantage. Tavaris Terrell started the inning with a single, and Sellers doubled down the left field line to make the game 4-1. After four Sand Sharks at-bats, Milhan cracked a two RBI single to right center to push the contest 6-1. 

After both teams left a runner on base in the eighth, Ave Maria made the contest interesting with two outs. Hayden Sullivan plated a run off his triple, but that's all the Gyrenes could get in USCB's four-run win, 6-2.

INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Brian Meyer - 3-for-4, three singles, one RBI, two runs

Russ - 2-for-4, home run, double, two RBIs, two runs

Milhan - 3-for-5, triple, two singles, one RBI

Sellers - 3-for-4, home run, two singles, one RBI, two runs

Humphrey - 1-for-3, home run, two RBIs, two runs

Castro - 2-for-5, home run, single, one RBI, one run

Micah Krieghauser - six innings, win, seven hits, one earned run, no walks

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

Tucker Perry - one inning, no runs, no hits, no walks

HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED

The scoring came early and often in game two for USCB, as it plated six unanswered runs in the first two innings to take a commanding lead. 

In the first inning, Sellers started the inning with a solo blast to left center. Two batters later, Russ clocked a single to make the game 2-0. After forcing the bases loaded, Mathew Morgan collected a bases-loaded walk, and Wesley Ambrose capped off the scoring on a RBI fielder's choice.

In the second frame, Castro and Russ went back-to-back with solo home runs. With the two solo blasts USCB saw itself ahead 6-0.

After a scoreless third, USCB and AMU traded a run in the fourth to make the contest 7-1.

The Gyrenes made the game interesting by plating four unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings to pull within two. 

Up 7-5, the Sand Sharks went on a scoring stretch where they plated three total runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Humphrey accounted for the solo run in the seventh via a leadoff bomb, while Milhan and Humphrey, again, tallied the runs in the eighth to make the game 10-5.

Perry came into the game in the ninth, and he slammed the door in the five-run win, as he went 1-2-3.

TEAM RECORD UPDATES

USCB - 22-17 overall, 9-11 The Sun Conference 

Ave Maria - 14-27 overall, 4-13 The Sun Conference

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Sand Sharks will look to sweep their second Sun Conference series of 2021, as USCB and Ave Maria will conclude the three-game series on Saturday, April 17. The contest will also serve as Senior Day, as first pitch is slated to begin at noon at Richard Gray Stadium.