BABSON PARK, Fla. - After weather delays pushed back first pitch two hours, the USCB baseball team battled with NAIA No. 9 Webber International in two, seven-innings games. However, the Warriors bested the Sand Sharks, 4-3 and 4-0, on Friday to open the four-game series at Brad Niethammer Field.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Wesley Ambrose - 2-for-3, two singles
Brian Meyer - 1-for-3, single, one RBI
Hunter McKown - 1-for-3, one RBI
Tucker Czech - 1-for-3, one run
Brandon Blume - four innings, six strikeouts, one walk, three runs
Cam Dimidjian - two innings, one run, no walks, five strikeouts, two hits
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
Through one-and-a-half scoreless innings, Webber broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the first with three straight hits to take the 2-0 lead.
One inning later though, USCB came up clutch when Meyer connected with a sacrifice fly to pull within one run. Ambrose tallied the run after he posted a one-out single earlier in the frame.
The Warriors quickly added insurance in the bottom of the third by plating a lone run to make it a 3-1 contest.
In the back-and-forth affair, USCB tied up the contest in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs. With one out, Czech poked an infield single, and after an out, Carson Phillips walked to put two runners on base. McKown made it interesting with his own single to plate Czech, and thanks to a wild pitch, the Sand Sharks knotted the game at 3-all.
After back-to-back scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, WIU needed one run to win the game, and it did that off three hits in the bottom of the seventh. With the winning run, Webber took game one of the doubleheader, 4-3.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Alexander Humphrey - 2-for-3, two singles
Phillips - 1-for-2, double, two walks
Jake Tanner, Hunter Miller and Brevon Harper - one single each
Noah Coleman - four innings, seven strikeouts, three walks, one run, two hits
Brandon Martin - one inning, one strikeout, one hit, no runs
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the first, Webber carried the momentum into the bottom of the frame with a lone run - via a fielder's choice.
After quiet second and third innings, USCB threatened to break onto the scoreboard. Miller was able to get into scoring position thanks to Brock Thibodeaux reaching base via a WIU error. However, the duo were left stranded.
Following a scoreless top of the fourth, the Warrior offense added to its lead with a three-run inning. WIU was able to plate two runs from a triple and the final run from a RBI single.
In the top of the sixth, the Sand Sharks threatened to break onto the scoreboard again with hits from Miller and Harper. They were again left stranded to bring their runners left on base total to eight.
Keeping the deficit at four, Phillips and Humphrey tried to start a rally in the seventh with two outs. Phillips connected with a double a double, while Humphrey was hit by a pitch. However, they were left on base in the four-run loss, 4-0.
TEAM RECORD UPDATES
USCB - 0-2 overall
Webber International - 5-0 overall
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Sand Sharks and Warriors will conclude its four-game series with another set of seven-innings games on Saturday. The slate is set to begin at 12 p.m. at Brad Niethammer Field.
