HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - After dropping three games on the road this past weekend, the USCB baseball team rebounded nicely with a doubleheader sweep over Brewton-Parker, 10-2 and 12-4, on Tuesday at Richard Gray Stadium.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Leandy Castro - 2-for-4, double, home run, two RBIs, three runs
Nikko Andre - 2-for-4, two singles, two RBIs
Kyran Russ - 1-for-2, two RBIs
John Leland - 0-for-1, two RBIs, one run
Brian Meyer - 1-for-3, two runs
Donavan Huneck - three innings, win, four hits, one earned run, two walks, two strikeouts
Payton MacPherson - two innings, no runs, no walks, no hits, two strikeouts
Brian Bromley - two innings, no runs, no hits, no walks, three strikeouts
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
Picking up in the bottom of the second (suspended game from Feb. 4), USCB had runners in scoring position - down 2-0. However, USCB failed to plate the runners to keep the game 2-0 going into the third.
After leaving two runners on base in the top of the third, USCB's offense exploded for six runs to take its first lead of the game, 6-2. Leland scored the first run on a bases-loaded walk, while Andre made it hurt with a two RBI single. Russ followed with a ringing double to left center to push the lead to three, 5-2. Tanner ended the scoring for the Sand Sharks with a RBI single to center to make it 6-2.
USCB's bullpen was phenomenal from there-on, as it combined for one runner to reach base safely - a walk in the top of the fourth.
The Sand Sharks continued to pour in offense with a run in the fourth and fifth innings as well as a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Castro crushed a solo homer in the fourth, while Robbie Brown touched home in the fifth. Castro and Leland accounted for the Sand Shark runs in the sixth - a RBI double and a sacrifice fly (respectively).
Bromley closed out the seventh in dominating fashion - a strikeout and two fly outs - to secure USCB's sixth win of the year.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Russ - 2-for-3, double, two RBIs, two runs
Clint Sellars - 1-for-4, homer, two RBIs, one run
Brock Thibodeaux - 2-for-4, two singles, two RBIs
Brevon Harper - 2-for-5, two singles, one RBI
Leland - 0-for-1, one RBI, two runs, three walks
Tucker Dove - 2.2 innings, one hit, no runs, two strikeouts
Brandon Martin - three innings, win, one hit, no runs, no walks, five strikeouts
Riley Stokes - one inning, one hit, no runs, no walks, two strikeouts
Jack Wood - one inning, no runs, no hits, one strikeout
Tucker Perry - one inning, no runs, one hit, no walks, one strikeout
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
Brewton-Parker's offense started the contest off red-hot with four runs in the top of the first.
The Sand Sharks quickly cut the deficit in half with sacrifice flies from Sellars and Russ.
USCB made it a one-run contest in the home half of the second, as Harper recorded a run-scoring hit to make the game 4-3.
After a scoreless third frame, USCB took its first lead of the contest with a trio of runs in the fourth. With the bases loaded, Leland and Jake Tanner touched home on a wild pitch. With Wesley Ambrose at third, Robbie Brown plated him to make it 6-4.
Following a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, the Sand Sharks padded their lead thanks to Thibodeaux. The junior infielder smacked a run-scoring single through the right side to advance the lead to three, 7-4.
After yet another 1-2-3 inning for BPC, USCB started getting breathing room with three runs in the sixth. Sellars smoked his second homer of 2022. Russ touched home on a wild pitch, and Leland scored Tim Wood via a bases-loaded hit by pitch. The three-run frame pushed the contest to 10-4, USCB.
The Sand Sharks added more insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs. Russ and Thibodeaux came up clutch with the run-scoring hits for the Sand Sharks to move the lead to eight, 12-4.
The final inning-and-a-half went by quickly, as both teams combined for just one hit during that stretch. With that, USCB went on to claim the victory, 12-4.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 7-10 overall
Brewton-Parker - 3-11 overall
WHAT'S NEXT?
USCB returns to Sun Conference action, as it will travel to Lake Wales, Fla. for a three-game set versus Warner. First pitch of the doubleheader on Feb. 25 is set for 2:30 p.m.
