HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - USCB baseball dropped game one of the twin bill with Young Harris, 14-2, but it was a back-and-forth affair in game two Saturday afternoon at Richard Gray Stadium.
Inside the Box Score - Game One
Seth Robinson: 1-for-1, RBI
Hunter McKown: 1-for-2, RBI
Brandon Blume (L, 2-6) 1 IP, 5 H 6 ER, 1 BB
How it Happened - Game One
The Mountain Lions jumped out to an early 6-0 lead after just one inning, chasing USCB's starter.
Young Harris would add a solo run in the fourth before putting up a four-spot in the fifth to make it 11-0 after three and a half innings. McKown hit a hard ground ball to Drew Bray at short, scoring the Sand Sharks first run.
Bray added a two RBI double to left center in the sixth, and Jace Wilson singled to bring home another Mountain Lion, making it 14-1 after six.
Robinson came off the bench in the seventh and singled to right, bringing home a run, but Hunter Miller flew out to left to end game one.
Inside the Box Score - Game Two
Robbie Brown: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
Wesley Ambrose: 2-for-4, 3 RBI
Jacob Anderson: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 2B
Scott Matthews: (L, 1-3), 6 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
How it Happened - Game Two
The Sand Sharks scored the first run in the night cap, courtesy of a Brown RBI base knock. Young Harris though would plate four runs in the top of the second.
Rome Wallace singled up the middle bringing home the Mountain Lion's first run, and two batters later, James Basham plated two more to advance the lead to two. One more run would score for YHC, but USCB would take advantage of Zach Murray's command issues, scoring four runs of their own in the bottom half of the second inning.
Anderson doubled to the gap making it a 4-3 game, and Ambrose ripped a single down the right field line to put the Sand Sharks back on top, 5-4.
The battle of the offenses continued with Young Harris quickly tying the game after back-to-back doubles. A wild pitch allowed another run to score, but Matthews halted what could've been a big inning for the Mountain Lions forcing a ground out to end the inning.
After holding one another scoreless for an inning, the Sand Sharks chased Murray in the sixth, giving way to Dylan Beck, who promptly served up Brown's second RBI base knock and then walked Ambrose on four pitches, as USCB tied it at seven.
Josh Patterson relieved Matthews following a lead off walk, but the right-hander could get one out before pinch hitter Jackson Kemp drilled a three-run homer to left making it a 10-7 game. Another run scoring extra base hit for the Mountain Lions made it a four-run game and the Sand Sharks had to go deep into its bullpen as YHC continued to add on, scoring nine.
Kemp belted his second homer of the game in the top of ninth making it an 11-run ball game then pushed across two more runs making it 21-7. The Sand Sharks went down 1-2-3 in ninth.
Team Records Update
USCB: 12-25 (5-18 PBC)
YHC: 32-11 (20-6)
What's Next?
The Sand Sharks and Mountain Lions conclude the three-game slate Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
