LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - After being tied for the career home run record in the last eight games, Leandy Castro finally broke that USCB mark, and it came at a great time for the Sand Sharks. The senior outfielder crushed a grand slam in the seventh inning of game two to give USCB baseball the series win in the rubber match, 7-5, over No. 11 Georgia Gwinnett on Saturday at the Grizzly Baseball Complex. GGC got the best of the Sand Sharks in game one of the doubleheader, 7-2, but the Sand Sharks won the series over the reigning national champions.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Wesley Ambrose - 2-for-4, two singles, one RBI
Nick Milhan - 2-for-4, two singles, one run
John Leland - 1-for-1, single, one run
Brian Meyer and Brock Thibodeaux - one single each
Cam Dimidjian - 1.2 innings, no runs, no hits, two walks, one strikeout
Javier Saenz - 0.2 innings, no runs, no hits, no walks
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
The reigning national champions jumped out of the gate with four runs thanks to five hits and an error.
After letting GGC score a run in the second to take the five-run lead, USCB had a chance to break onto the scoreboard in the third. Thibodeaux singled, and he eventually moved to third thanks to a passed ball and a ground out. However, the third out was recorded before he could score.
The fourth and fifth innings went by quickly for both teams, but in the sixth, Georgia Gwinnett piled on to its lead without collecting a hit. The Grizzlies scored two runs off a sac fly and a wild pitch.
Down 7-0, USCB showed fight in the top of the seventh. Milhan led off with a single, and after an out, TK Kennedy walked to put two runners on base. Ambrose cracked a single up the middle to score one and put two runners in scoring position. Castro followed with a sac fly to pull within five, 7-2.
After stranding a runner in the top of the eight, USCB showed resiliency in the ninth. Ambrose and Leland reached base on a walk and single, respectively. However, GGC recorded the final two outs before they could score to seal the five-run win over the Sand Sharks.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Castro - 2-for-4, grand slam, broke career home run record, single, four RBIs
Jake Tanner - 4-for-5, four singles, one RBI
Thibodeaux - 4-for-5, double, three singles, one run
Milhan - 3-for-5, three singles, two runs
Ambrose - 2-for-4, two singles, one run
Meyer - 1-for-4, double, one RBI
Payton MacPherson - five innings, seven hits, one earned run, two walks, two strikeouts
Cam Mathis, one inning, win, one hit, no runs, no walks
Tucker Perry - 1.1 innings, save, no hits, no runs, no walks, one strikeout
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
Unlike game one of Saturday's doubleheader, USCB drew first blood in the top of the first. Ambrose started the game with a hit to the pitcher. Milhan then traded places with him at first, and Castro put two runners on with his single. Thanks to a throwing error by the GGC catcher, Milhan raced home to score the unearned run and push USCB ahead, 1-0.
The Grizzlies tied the game at 1-apiece in the bottom of the second when Myles McKisic collected the RBI single.
Following three scoreless innings (third, fourth and fifth innings) from both teams, USCB and Georgia Gwinnett exchanged solo runs in the sixth. Meyer collected a RBI on a double, while the Grizzlies scored an unearned run thanks to two Sand Shark errors in the inning.
Moving to the seventh, a lot of fireworks happened for USCB, including break the all-time career home run record. Nikko Andre started the rally with a walk. Hunter McKown came in to pinch run, and Ambrose reached base safely on a Grizzly error. With two on base, Milhan poked a single to center, which allowed Castro to come up to bat in a tie game and the bases loaded. The senior, who has been tied for the career home run record for the last eight games, finally broke that record in grand fashion. The senior connected with the go-ahead, and ultimate, game-winning grand slam for the Sand Sharks to pull ahead 6-2.
GGC tried to make the game interesting with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to pul within one run, 6-5.
To make sure the Sand Sharks had enough breathing room, Tanner cracked a run-scoring hit in the top of the ninth to push the lead to two, 7-5.
After getting out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth, Perry had no problem in the ninth, as he sealed his team-best sixth save of the year by going 1-2-3.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 26-25 overall
No. 11 Georgia Gwinnett - 37-14
WHAT'S NEXT?
USCB is currently the sixth seed in the Sun Conference Tournament, but the Sand Sharks will be watching the Keiser - Florida Memorial series, which resumes on Sunday morning (weather affected the series). The Sand Sharks will be guaranteed that six seed if Florida Memorial loses at least one game in the three-game series. If FMU sweeps the series over No. 19 Keiser, the Lions will jump ahead of USCB in the Sun Conference standings.
