ST. AUGUSTINE -- USCB softball endured a pair of tough losses to Flagler on Saturday at Flagler Field, concluding a three-game conference series on the road.
GAME ONE
Flagler wasted no time attacking USCB's pitching staff in the opener, plating three runs in the first inning. A leadoff single set the table, followed by an RBI double and a two-run homer to give the Saints an early lead.
USCB responded in the second inning when Tamiyah Whitlock delivered an RBI double to put the Sand Sharks on the board. They had a prime opportunity to cut further into the deficit in the fourth, loading the bases with one out. However, a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat, leaving all three runners stranded.
Flagler sealed the game with six runs over the final two innings, enforcing the mercy rule in an 11-1 victory.
GAME TWO
Game two saw an offensive explosion from the Saints, who sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning and erupted for nine runs. The early damage put the Sand Sharks in a deep hole, but they battled back with a three-run home run from Sydney Kibler—her first collegiate homer—to chip away at the lead.
Alyssa Rose kept USCB's hopes alive with her first home run of the season, a two-run blast in the fourth, trimming the deficit to five. However, Flagler's offense remained relentless, answering with eight runs in the bottom half of the inning.
USCB looked to spark a rally in the fifth when Saria Simmons drew a one-out walk, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the contest, securing Flagler's series sweep with another run-rule victory.
The Sand Sharks return to the 'Ville on Wednesday for a midweek doubleheader against Spartanburg Methodist, beginning at 1 p.m. in Hardeeville.
