HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - With six unanswered runs in game one and a late, go-ahead home run from Leandy Castro in game two, the USCB baseball team claimed its first Sun Conference sweep of the season, as the Sand Sharks downed Florida Memorial - 8-4 and 7-6 - on Saturday at Richard Gray Stadium.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Brock Thibodeaux - 2-for-4, double, two RBIs
Kyran Russ - 1-for-2, two RBIs, one run
Brian Meyer - 2-for-4, double, two runs
Nick Milhan - 2-for-3, double, one run
Castro - 1-for-3, double, one RBI, one run
Julian Galassi - 1-for-5, two RBIs
Clint Sellars, Brevon Harper and Robbie Brown - one hit each
Brandon Martin - win, 3.2 innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, two strikeouts
Cam Mathis - 2.1 innings, no runs, no hits, one strikeout
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
After resuming the game in the top of the third with USCB leading 2-1, the Lions scored three unanswered runs in the next two innings to take the 4-2 advantage.
In the bottom of the fifth, USCB tied the contest at 4-all when Galassi roped a two-RBI single to center field. Russ and Meyer scored for USCB on the game-tying hit, as they reached on a single and a hit by pitch - respectively.
After a quick top of the sixth, USCB retook the lead, in fact its largest lead of the game at that point - 6-4. The go-ahead runs were scored off Russ' bat, as he dropped a two-RBI single down the left field line.
Just an inning later, the Sand Sharks tacked on a pair of insurance runs to make the contest 8-4. Hunter McKown and Castro came up with the sacrifice flies for USCB, which pushed the lead to four.
Between relief outings from Martin and Mathis, USCB held Florida Memorial off the scoreboard from the fifth to ninth inning.
With the all-around dominating performance, USCB won the second game of the three-game set, 8-4.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Castro - 3-for-3, go-ahead and game-winning home run, two singles, two RBIs, two walks
Thibodeaux - 1-for-3, single, two RBIs, two runs
Nick Milhan - 1-for-5, double, one RBI
Russ and Brown - one single and one run each
McKown - 1-for-4, single, one RBI, one run
Payton MacPherson - one inning, win, three hits, no earned runs, no walks, two strikeouts
Tucker Perry - two innings, save, no hits, no runs, one walk, two strikeouts
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
To kick off the series finale, the two clubs exchanged blows in the first and second innings. Florida Memorial took the 2-0 lead in the first, while the Sand Sharks posted three runs in the bottom of the second to take the one-run lead, 3-2. McKown, Castro and Milhan connected with three straight, run-scoring at-bats to give USCB the advantage.
Following a scoreless third inning, Florida Memorial knotted the game at 3-3 in the fourth thanks to a throwing error.
Moving into the bottom of the fifth, the Sand Sharks retook the lead off three runs and three hits. The scoring started early for USCB, as Brown knocked a single and Russ followed with a walk. Both Sand Sharks moved into scoring position via a wild pitch, and then Thibodeaux made it hurt with a two-RBI single to left. After an out that put Thibodeaux at third base, he then scored on a wild pitch to give USCB the three-run lead, 6-3.
After no runs were scored in the sixth, FMU tied the game up for a second time (6-6), as it scored three runs - all unearned - in the seventh.
After the seventh-inning stretch, the FMU pitcher recorded two quick outs, but Castro had other ideas of a quick inning. The senior uncorked on a solo, two-out blast to left center, and his sixth home run of the season gave USCB the lead again, 7-6.
Entering in a save situation, Perry came into the contest in the eighth inning, and he proved to be vital in the one-run game. He ran into drama in the eighth, but he sealed the 7-6 win and series sweep for USCB by facing the minimum in the ninth inning.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 15-16 overall, 3-6 Sun Conference
Florida Memorial - 11-12 overall, 3-6 Sun Conference
WHAT'S NEXT?
USCB will end the season series with Brewton-Parker on Tuesday, March 22, as the Sand Sharks make the short trek to Mount Vernon, Ga. for a nine-inning contest versus the Barons. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
