MILLEDGEVILLE -- USCB put runners on base consistently Friday night but couldn't come up with the timely hits needed, falling to Georgia College 14-4 at John Kurtz Field to open a three-game set with the Bobcats. Despite collecting 11 hits, all singles, the Sand Sharks struggled to manufacture a big inning, while Georgia College capitalized on key innings to secure the win.

Jeremy Brown and Andrew Walters provided bright spots in the lineup, each recording three hits, while Noah Campbell, Cooper McDaniel, and Carson Weathers chipped in with an RBI apiece.

USCB's pitching struggled to find the zone, with starter Joe Turner (1-3) lasting just 2.2 innings. The right-hander allowed seven runs on eight hits while issuing seven walks. The Sand Sharks' bullpen couldn't slow down Georgia College either, as the Bobcats continued to tack on runs throughout the night.

Georgia College wasted little time jumping ahead, plating two runs in the first inning before breaking the game open with a six-run third. Braeden Smith delivered a key blow with a home run in the frame, part of a four-RBI night for the Bobcats' slugger. The home team added four more runs in the fifth before tacking on two in the seventh, putting the game firmly out of reach.

The Sand Sharks showed signs of life in the fourth inning, stringing together a rally to score four runs and briefly cut into the deficit. A combination of timely singles and defensive miscues by Georgia College helped USCB push runs across, but they couldn't sustain the momentum.

The two teams will wrap up their series on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The Sand Sharks will look to bounce back and salvage a win before heading home to face Embry-Riddle on Tuesday.