HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - To win the series over Aquinas, the USCB baseball team split with the Saints on Friday afternoon, 3-1 and 9-7, at Richard Gray Stadium.

INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Nikko Andre - 2-for-3, two singles

Leandy Castro - 1-for-3, single, one run

Julian Galassi, Nick Milhan and Clint Sellars - one single each

Brian Bromley - 4.1 innings, four hits, one run, no walks, two strikeouts

Payton MacPherson - 1.1 innings, one hit, one run, no walks, one strikeout

HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED

After both team left runners on base in the first, Aquinas scored the game's first run in the top of the second. With two walks and a hit by pitch, the Saints scored a run off a fielder's choice to take the 1-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the third, Sellars tried to start a rally with a leadoff single, but the Saints worked out of the jam with a 6-4-3 double play.

The Sand Sharks had a prime chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Andre beat out an infield single. Kyran Russ was hit by a pitch, and Brian Meyer drew a four-pitch walk to force the bases loaded with one out. The Saint defense then turned another 6-4-3 double play to keep the Sand Sharks off the scoreboard. 

Moving into the sixth inning, Aquinas doubled its lead off three hits. Kelvin Aracena collected the RBI for the Saints to push the lead to two, 2-0.

In the home half of the sixth, the Sand Sharks finally broke onto the scoreboard with a lone run. Russ earned a sacrifice fly, which scored Castro and made the game 2-1.

Aquinas quickly answered in the top of the seventh with another run.

Down 3-1, USCB had one last chance, but the Saints faced just three batters to seal their first win of the series. 

INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Russ - 3-for-4, home run, three RBIs

Castro - 2-for-3, double, single, two RBIs, one run

Galassi - 2-for-4, two singles, two runs

Meyer- 1-for-1, triple, one RBI

Alexander Humphrey - 1-for-4, single, one RBI, one run

Tucker Dove - three innings, four hits, one run, no walks, one strikeout

Cam Mathis - two innings, save, two hits, one earned run, one strikeout

HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED

The Sand Shark offense started the game with a run in the first. Galassi and Sellars poked back-to-back singles to start the inning, and Castro connected with a sac fly to take the 1-0 lead.

After stranding two players in the top of the second, the Sand Sharks tacked on two runs thanks to a hit by pitch, a fielding error and a wild pitch. Brock Thibodeaux was hit by a pitch, and Hunter McKown scored him on a fielding error by the Aquinas left fielder. McKown had two straight wild pitches, which allowed the sophomore to score and push the lead to three - 3-0.

The Saints started to scratch into the three-run deficit with solo runs in the third and fourth innings.

In the top of the fifth, the Saints took their first lead of the ball game when Nathan Wilcox cracked a two-run homer over the left field fence to put his team ahead 4-3. 

Despite letting the lead disappear, the Sand Sharks didn't cave. In fact, they posted a crooked number in the bottom of the fifth - six runs off six hits. Castro cracked the game-tying hit, and Humphrey gave USCB the one-run lead off his single to center. Russ really made it hurt, as he demolished a three-run homer to left field. After a hit and an error, Meyer burned the right fielder to earn a RBI triple and gave the Sand Sharks the five-run lead, 9-4. 

Aquinas put a scare into USCB in the top of the sixth. The Saints had a hit to go along with a walk and a hit by pitch. Fortunately for the Sand Sharks, Mathis came into a save situation and allowed just one run to score, but he stranded two Saints to keep the lead for the Sand Sharks - 9-5. 

After a quiet bottom of the sixth, the Saints didn't go down without a fight. Aquinas plated two runs and even put the game-tying run on base, but the Saints ran into a base running blunder, which allowed USCB to win, 9-7. 

TEAM RECORD UPDATES

USCB - 12-15 overall

Aquinas - 7-14 overall

WHAT'S NEXT?

USCB will face off with No. 12 Middle Georgia State for the second time in the last week on Tuesday, March 15 at 3 p.m.