HARDEEVILLE -- The 2025 USCB baseball season came to a close Sunday afternoon at the Richard Gray Sports Complex, as the Sand Sharks fell 9-5 to rival USC Aiken. Beaufort finishes the year with a 9-37 overall record, going 5-22 in Peach Belt play.
For the third consecutive game, USCB struck first. Ryan Stansell reached on a fielder's choice to open the scoring, and Cooper McDaniel added another run later in the first inning. Two frames later, Noah Campbell delivered a clutch RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0 and energize the home crowd.
But the momentum shifted in the fifth inning. USC Aiken erupted for five runs, powered by Jack Hobson's big swing — a three-run homer, his third of the series — to vault the Pacers ahead for good.
From there, Aiken's bullpen clamped down. The Sand Sharks were held scoreless until the ninth inning, while the Pacers padded their lead with a four-run top of the ninth to make it 9-3. Jon Davis and Nikko Andre tried to ignite a late rally with RBI singles in the bottom half, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.
Despite the early ending, the future remains bright for USCB baseball. A promising core of talent gained valuable experience throughout a challenging Peach Belt slate, setting the stage for a strong rebound in 2026.
As the Sand Sharks turn the page on 2025, the lessons learned and growth shown offer plenty of hope for what's to come.
