BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – The University of South Carolina Beaufort Softball team hosted the opening day of the two-day Lowcountry Classic. USCB played two games in its home opener, earning a pair of victories, first a 10-1 win over Erskine College following six run first inning, followed by a 3-1 comeback win over Carson-Newman.
With the two victories, USCB improves to 5-1 on the season and extends its winning streak to four straight games.
GAME ONE:
Madison Murphy and Casey Cantwell combined for five innings in the circle. Murphy pitched three innings, while Cantwell threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn her first win of the season.
On offense, the Sand Sharks were led by Taelor Chang, who recorded three RBIs with one hit and one run scored. Catharine Conway and Tamiyah Whitlock each tallied two hits in the win, with Whitlock driving in two runs.
The Flying Fleet struck first with an RBI groundout after back-to-back one-out hits, taking an early 1-0 lead.
The lead did not last long, as the Sand Sharks answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Conway started the rally with a single and a stolen base before Whitlock singled and Saria Simmons drew a walk to load the bases. Chang followed with a bases-clearing three-RBI double to give USCB a 3-1 lead.
USCB continued its great start on offense in the first inning when Emma Reynolds delivered a two-RBI double to center field, scoring Chang and Katelyn Boyette. MJ Stradinger added an RBI single to center to push across the final run of the inning. The Sand Sharks scored six runs on six hits in the frame.
Erskine threatened in the fourth after drawing two walks, but Cantwell worked out of the jam to keep the score at 6-1.
USCB carried the momentum into the bottom of the fourth, adding four more runs. After an error and a single set up runners on first and second, Whitlock delivered a two-RBI double to extend the lead to 8-1. Simmons followed with an RBI single, and the 10th run crossed the plate on an RBI groundout, giving the Sand Sharks a 10-1 advantage in the fourth inning.
In the top of the fifth, Cantwell tossed a perfect inning, recording two groundouts to secure the 10-1 run-rule victory in five innings over Erskine College.
GAME TWO:
In game two of the afternoon, the Sand Sharks were led by Catharine Conway, who recorded a team-high three hits and an RBI while scoring one run. Saria Simmons and Avery Alexander each added an RBI, while Katelyn Boyette and Tamiyah Whitlock collected two hits apiece.
Emily Morgan and Madison Murphy combined to pitch seven innings, with Murphy throwing the final two innings to earn the win.
Both teams recorded hits in the opening inning but were unable to score. Carson-Newman struck first in the top of the second inning after two singles set up a two-out RBI single, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead on three hits.
The Sand Sharks put together two singles in the third inning, but Carson-Newman worked out of the jam. USCB tied the game in the fifth after Alexander drew a walk to start the inning. Two singles later, Simmons delivered an RBI single to center field to even the score at 1-1.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the sixth, when the Sand Sharks took their first lead of the game. Caleigh Eubanks and Boyette opened the inning with back-to-back singles before a passed ball moved the runners to second and third. Alexander lifted a sacrifice fly to score Boyette and give USCB a 2-1 lead. Conway followed with her third hit of the game, a single to center field that brought home Eubanks. USCB scored two runs on three hits in the inning to take a 3-1 lead through six innings.
Carson-Newman managed a two-out single in the final inning, but Murphy struck out the final batter to secure the 3-1 victory and extend the Sand Sharks' winning streak to four games.
USCB returns to action at home to close out the Lowcountry Classic with a doubleheader against Carson-Newman and Erskine beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Stay tuned to uscbathletics.com and follow Sand Shark Athletics on social media for the latest news, updates, and information.
