HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - Despite outhitting the nationally-ranked opponent, the USCB softball team narrowly fell in a doubleheader to No. 14 Georgia Gwinnett, 13-10 (eight innings) and 5-3, on Tuesday at Richard Gray Stadium.  

INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Mackenzie Freeman - 3-for-5, double, two singles, three RBIs

Jaci Coleman and Devon Weller - two singles, one RBI and two runs each

Addie Reynolds - 3-for-5, three singles, one RBI, one run

Alyssa Smith - 3-for-4, three singles, one RBI, one run

Ashlyn Alte - 2-for-5, two singles, one RBI, one run

Daryn Miller - 1-for-5, single, one RBI, one run

Haley Massenburg - 1-for-1, single, one RBI

HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED

USCB and No. 14 Georgia Gwinnett exchanged runs in the first inning. GGC got on the board first, as Sydney Pelaez scored on a wild pitch. The Sand Sharks tied it up, when Freeman came up clutch with a two RBI single.

The Grizzlies tacked on three unanswered runs in the second and third innings to take the 4-1 lead after two-and-a-half frames.

In the bottom of the third, USCB made it a one-run contest, 4-3, thanks to another clutch hit from Freeman. Coleman and Weller started the rally thanks to back-to-back singles. After two quick outs, Freeman roped a double to deep left, which allowed Weller and Coleman to touch home without a throw.

Georgia Gwinnett continued to add on, as it scored for the fourth straight inning to make the game 5-3. The Grizzlies threatened with a big inning. However, Toole allowed just one run and left three Grizzlies stranded on the base paths. 

Moving to the top of the fifth, GGC added two more insurance runs thanks to two hits and two errors. With the two-run frame, GGC held the four-run lead, 7-3. 

Despite being down four runs, the Sand Shark offense exploded for five runs off seven hits. USCB hit around in the lineup, as it took the lead - 8-7. Reynolds, Freeman and Smith started the rally with a single each. Massenburg came in to pinch hit, and she dropped an infield single to make the game 7-4. Miller poked a run-scoring single to left to make it a two-run game. After the first out of the inning, Coleman poked an infield single off the knob of the bat, but it was enough for Freeman to score without a throw. Weller worked a bases-loaded walk to tie the game for the first time since the first inning. After a pitching change, Alte smacked a single that hit off the new GGC pitcher and gave USCB its first lead of the game, 8-7. 

Unfortunately for the Sand Sharks, the Grizzlies rattled off three runs in the top of the sixth to retake the lead by two, 10-8.

After holding Georgia Gwinnett off the scoreboard for the first time in the game, USCB mounted an impressive comeback to force extras. Weller and Alte started the surge with singles, and Reynolds made it hurt with a single up the middle, which made the game 10-9. After an out, Smith connected with a single to right center, which tied the game up. With runners at the corners and two outs, USCB couldn't score the game-winning runs, which forced extras.

The Grizzlies wasted no time in extra innings, as they plated three runs in the top of the eighth to make it a 13-10 game. Lea McFadden and Brooke Parker collected the RBIs for GGC in the frame. 

In USCB's final chance, the Sand Sharks went down 1-2-3 in the three-run, extra-inning loss to the nationally-ranked opponent. 

INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Francie Gaskin - 2-for-3, double, single, one RBI

Coleman and Weller - both went 2-for-4, two singles, one run

Reynolds and Freeman - one single and one RBI each

Taylor Florea - seven innings, seven hits, two earned runs, one walk, six strikeouts

HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED

Georgia Gwinnett struck first in the first frame, when it scored a pair of unearned runs. Two Grizzlies scored on a Sand Shark throwing error to give GGC the 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, USCB cut the deficit in half when it recorded an unearned run of its own. After two outs, Smith reached first base safely on a dropped third strike (passed bal). She swiped second base, and Gaskin connected with a single, which allowed Smith to score and make the game 2-1. 

The two clubs exchanged runs in the third to make it a 3-2 contest. Lani Trent had the sac fly for GGC, while Reynolds collected a RBI on a sac fly of her own. 

The Grizzlies made it a two-run game again in the top of the fourth when Josie Haulk scored an unearned run.

After leaving a runner in scoring position in the fourth, USCB capitalized and nearly took the lead in the fifth. Weller singled, and Alte and Reynolds followed with singles to make the bases loaded. For the fourth straight single, Freeman scored Weller to make it a 4-3 game. After an out at the plate, the final out was recorded to leave three Sand Sharks on base. 

Georgia Gwinnett continued to add to its lead, as it plated a run in the top of the sixth to make it a two-run game, 5-3.

The Sand Sharks struggled to find offense in the final two innings, as they fell to the nationally-ranked Grizzlies - 5-3. 

RECORDS UPDATE

USCB - 18-20 overall

No. 14 Georgia Gwinnett - 28-14 overall

WHAT'S NEXT?

USCB returns to Sun Conference play, as it will travel to Southeastern from April 15-16. The three-game set commences an eight-game road swing for the Sand Sharks.