HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - To rebound from the season-opener, the USCB baseball team split the doubleheader on Saturday, 5-4 and 4-1, at Richard Gray Stadium. The Sand Sharks walked off in game one via a wild pitch, while falling by a trio of runs in the series finale.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Brian Meyer - three walks, two runs, one RBI, three stolen bases
Kyran Russ and Brock Thibodeaux - double each
Leandy Castro - 1-for-1, one RBI
USCB's 1-3 hitters (Meyer, Clint Sellars and John Leland) - six walks, two RBIs, three runs scored, four stolen bases
Blaize Minick - 3.2 innings, four hits, three runs, three strikeouts
Brandon Martin - 2.1 innings, no runs, no hits, three strikeouts
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
Both USCB and Milligan struggled to find offense in the first two-and-a-half innings, but the Sand Shark offense found momentum in the bottom of the third thanks to a sacrifice fly. Thibodeaux started the inning with a double, and he moved to third via a balk. After an out, Meyer poked a sacrifice fly to right to give USCB the lead, 1-0.
Milligan, unfortunately, retaliated quickly in the top of the fourth with three runs. Chancery Hall came up with a three-run homer to give the Buffs the 3-1 advantage.
The Sand Sharks tried to cut in the deficit in the home half of the inning but left a pair stranded.
In the next inning, USCB rallied to tie the game up, 3-3. Thanks to two walks, Meyer scored off a stolen base and a throwing error. Capitalizing on the miscue, Castro connected with a RBI single to account for the two runs in the frame.
After a scoreless sixth, MU regained the lead, 4-3, with a two-out, run-scoring single in the top of the seventh.
The Sand Sharks didn't cave, as they mounted their first walkoff of 2022. Wesley Ambrose came in to pinch hit to start the inning, and he singled to right center to start the rally. Meyer walked to put two runners on, and like earlier in the game, Ambrose and Meyer committed a double steal to put the game-winning runs in scoring position. Sellars connected with the game-tying sacrifice fly, and to end the game, Leland walked. The final pitch of his at-bat got away from the MU catcher, which allowed Meyer to scamper home and give USCB its first win of the year - 5-4.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Alexander Humphrey - 3-for-3, three singles
Russ - 1-for-2, double, one RBI, one walk
Meyer - 1-for-4, single, one stolen base
Donavan Huneck - four innings, three runs, four hits, one strikeout
Cam Mathis - two innings, one run, one hit, no walks, one strikeout
Michael Corrales - one inning, no runs, no hits, no walks, one strikeout
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
After three scoreless innings, Milligan scored the game's first runs in the top of the fourth. Andrew Mathias, Gavin Jones and Cade Davis connected with run-scoring hits to take the lead, 3-0.
USCB had a prime chance to score in the fourth, as it had two runners on base with one out. However, the third out was recorded to leave the Sand Shark duo stranded.
Following a scoreless fifth, USCB and Milligan exchanged runs in the sixth to make the contest 4-1. Hall had a sac fly for MU, while Russ cracked a two-out RBI double for the Sand Sharks.
Neither team's offense was able to find momentum in the final inning to give the Buffs the 4-1 win.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 1-3 overall
Milligan - 3-1 overall
WHAT'S NEXT?
USCB will return to the diamond on Tuesday, Feb. 1, as it will get a taste of NCAA DII - Peach Belt Conference - action when the Sand Sharks travel to Augusta. First pitch against the Jaguars is set for 2 p.m. at Jaguar Field.
