MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -  Behind strong pitching and timely hitting in game one, the USCB baseball team upset No. 10 St. Thomas, 7-2. However, the nationally-ranked Bobcat team narrowly edged the Sand Sharks in the back-and-forth nightcap, 8-7, on Friday at Paul Demie Mainieri Field. 

INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Brandon Blume - seven innings, win, eight hits, two runs, no walks, four strikeouts

Tucker Perry - two innings, save, one hit, no runs, no walks, two strikeouts

Brian Meyer - 3-for-3, triple, two singles, one run

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

Leandy Castro - 1-for-4, solo home run

Nikko Andre - 1-for-3, single, one RBI, one run

Hunter McKown - 1-for-4, triple, one run

HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED

After two scoreless frames to start the doubleheader, USCB broke onto the scoreboard in dominating fashion. With one out in the third frame, Castro uncorked on a towering solo home run, which was his team-leading eighth bomb of the season.

Blume ran into trouble in the bottom of the third, but the junior college transfer worked out the jam - two runners on base with no outs - without either Bobcat to score. 

Moving into the top of the fifth, the Sand Sharks had a prime opportunity to add to its lead. McKown roped a triple to right center with one out, and after a strikeout, Milhan drew a two-out walk to put runners at the corners. However, a groundout left both Sand Sharks on base. 

Following a scoreless sixth frame, the Sand Shark offense erupted and took the four-run lead. Meyer started the rally with a leadoff triple down the right field line. Andre followed with a RBI single, and McKown reached base on a fielder's choice. However, STU threw the ball away twice, which allowed Andre to score and McKown to move to third base. Up 3-0, Milhan smacked a run-scoring single to give USCB the 4-0 lead. 

After mowing down the Bobcat lineup, Blume found some issues in the eighth when STU started the inning with four straight hits. With the rally, STU cut the deficit in half, 4-2.

The Sand Sharks quickly answered in the top of the ninth, however. Meyer singled, and Andre walked to put two runners on base with no outs. After an out, Castro was intentionally walked to force the bases loaded. Milhan reached safely on a fielder's choice, but Wesley Ambrose was able to score on the ground out. Kyran Russ and Alexander Humphrey both tacked on insurance runs with run-scoring hits to push the lead to five, 7-2.

Working in his second inning of work, Perry allowed one hit in the ninth, but only faced four Bobcats en route to striking out the final two batters to end the game and seal the series-opening win over No. 10 St. Thomas, 7-2. 

INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Ambrose - 3-for-4, three singles, two RBIs, one run

Milhan - 2-for-5, two singles

Julian Galassi - 1-for-3, single, two walks, two runs

Castro - 1-for-5, solo home run

Brevon Harper - 1-for-4, triple, two RBIs

Brock Thibodeaux - 1-for-5, single, one run, one RBI

Meyer - 1-for-5, single, one run

McKown - 1-for-4, single, one RBI

Brandon Martin - 4.1 innings, three hits, two runs, two walks, one strikeout 

HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED

Similar to what he has done several times this year, Castro started the contest off with a bang - a game-starting, solo home run. His towering blast increased his season total to nine and his fourth straight game with a homer. Galassi attempted to add on to the scoring, as he reached base on a single and moved to third on two wild pitches. However, he was left 90 feet away from home plate.

Moving into the bottom of the second, STU took its first lead of the series. Alan Caretta plated two on a double, and Joey Thompson connected with a two-run homer to give the Bobcats the 4-1 lead. 

The third inning featured a lot of traffic on the base paths for both ball clubs. USCB left the bases loaded thanks to a Milhan single, a STU error and a Russ hit by pitch. The Bobcats left two on base, as Martin worked out of the jam for the Sand Sharks. 

The fourth and fifth innings saw one runner left on base for both teams, but in the top of the sixth, USCB was able to tie the game up at 4-all. With one out, Ambrose collected an infield single. Meyer followed with a bunt single, and Harper made it sting with a bases-clearing, two-RBI triple to right center. McKown followed with a RBI single, which tied the game at 4-4.

With momentum on their side, USCB retook the lead in the seventh inning thanks to a pair of runs off two hits and another STU error. Galassi drew a one-out walk, and thanks to a single and an STU error, Galassi raced home to make the game 5-4. Already in scoring position, Thibodeaux moved to third via a wild pitch. Ambrose collected his own infield single, which pushed the USCB lead to two, 6-4. 

After the seventh-inning stretch, the Bobcats tied the contest at six apiece. Robin Fernandez poked a two-run homer to right to knot the game. STU threatened to take the lead again, but Mathis worked out of the jam to leave two runners on base. 

St. Thomas was able to retake the lead in bottom of the eighth thanks to a two-out, two-RBI single from Fernandez. His hit gave the Bobcats the two-run lead, 8-6.

The Sand Sharks didn't cave though, despite being in their last inning. Galassi worked a one-out walk, and he moved to second on a groundout. Ambrose made it a one-run game with a single up the middle. Meyer put the ball in play, and the STU second baseman committed an error, which allowed the inning to be extended with runners at the corners. With the game-tying and winning runs on base, USCB had one more chance, but the final out was recorded before either run could touch home in the one-run loss, 8-7. 

TEAM RECORD UPDATES

USCB - 17-17 overall, 4-7 Sun Conference

No. 10 St. Thomas 26-6 overall, 9-2 Sun Conference 

WHAT'S NEXT?

USCB and No. 10 St. Thomas will conclude the three-game series on Saturday with a single, nine-inning game. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. in Miami Gardens.