HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - To conclude a long four-day, seven-game stretch, the USCB softball team downed Reinhardt in game one, 11-4, before nearly rallying from behind in game two, 7-5, to settle for a split with the Eagles on Tuesday at Richard Gray Stadium.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Amber Locasto - 3-for-4, triple, two RBIs, two runs
Mackenzie Freeman - 1-for-3, three-run homer, two runs
Addie Reynolds - 3-for-3, double, two singles, one RBI, two runs
Taylor VanHouse, Daryn Miller and Jaci Coleman - two hits, one RBI, one run each
Emily Williams - 3.2 innings, two earned runs, four strikeouts, four hits
Caitlin Toole - win, 3.1 innings, six hits, one run, no walks
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
Reinhardt jumped out to an early lead by plating two runs in the first inning.
However, the Sand Sharks put up a crooked, four-run frame in the second to take the lead. Walker plated USCB's first run on a sacrifice fly, and then Locasto, VanHouse and Miller followed with three straight base knocks to give USCB the 4-2 lead.
USCB and Reinhardt exchanged runs in the third and went scoreless in the fourth.
The fifth inning offered a lot of promise for both teams, but no runs scored, as both ball clubs combined for four runners left on base.
The Eagles plated one in the top of the sixth, but USCB's offense erupted for six runs off six hits to blow the game open. Locasto scored on a throwing error, while Coleman scored Miller on a run-scoring hit. Freeman really made it hurt with a towering three-run blast to left to pull ahead by six, 10-4. To cap off the scoring, Locasto connected with a RBI hit to make the contest 11-4.
Toole went back out to pitch the seventh, and she had little issue en route to sealing her third win of the year.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Ashlyn Alte - 2-for-4, two singles, three RBIs
Miller - 3-for-4, double, one run
Coleman - 2-for-4, one run
VanHouse - 1-for-4, one run
Reynolds - 1-for-4, one RBI
Libby Carey - four innings, six hits, no earned runs, no walks, four strikeouts
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
After exchanging runs in the first, the second inning flew by for both teams.
Reinhardt's offense caught fire in the third and four innings by plating six runs in the two-inning span.
Following a scoreless fifth, USCB ended its scoring drought with a lone run in the sixth, which was a run-scoring groundout from Harlee Walker.
After leaving two Eagles stranded in the top of the seventh, the Sand Shark offense went to work in the home half of the final frame. USCB used four hits from VanHouse, Coleman, Alte and Freeman to pull within two, 7-5, but that was as close USCB would get in the narrow defeat.
RECORDS UPDATE
USCB - 7-14 overall
Reinhardt - 8-4 overall
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Sand Sharks will take a three-day break from the diamond before returning to Peach Belt Conference action by welcoming USC Aiken to Hardeeville, The three-game series begins with a single game on Saturday at 3 p.m.
