HARDEEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – The University of South Carolina Beaufort softball team closed out the Sand Shark Invitational on Sunday afternoon against Virginia Union University. After trailing early, 1-0, the Sand Sharks scored nine unanswered runs to seal a 9-1 victory in five innings.
USCB improves to 9-4 on the season after Cassie Brundage pitched a complete game with three strikeouts, earning her second win of the season.
The Sand Sharks were led in hits by Chloe Turner, Taelor Chang, Emma Reynolds, and MJ Stradinger, each with two. Turner, Chang, and Sydney Kibler each drove in two runs in the win.
Virginia Union scored first in the top half of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. USCB looked to answer with two hits in the bottom of the frame, but a lineout ended the inning with the Sand Sharks trailing.
After trailing 1-0 through two innings, the Sand Sharks struck in the third. Down by one, Saria Simmons reached safely before swiping second and scoring on a Chang RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.
Following a scoreless top of the fourth, USCB carried the momentum into the home half of the inning. Stradinger led off with a single before scoring on a Tamiyah Whitlock RBI single. With USCB in front, 2-1, Turner delivered an RBI single to score Margaret Griffin, and a Chang sacrifice fly pushed across another run to extend the lead to 4-1.
Virginia Union put a runner on base in the fifth inning but was unable to score before the Sand Sharks struck again in the bottom half.
Reynolds opened the inning with a single and later scored on a passed ball to make it 5-1. With Stradinger on third, Kibler delivered a two-run home run to extend the lead to 7-1.
The Sand Sharks were not done in the fifth. A double-steal attempt resulted in a throwing error that allowed Whitlock to score for an 8-1 advantage. A batter later, Turner delivered an RBI single to score Simmons and secure the 9-1 run-rule victory over Virginia Union in five innings.
USC Beaufort returns to action this week with four games. The Sand Sharks travel to face Newberry College on February 24 for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m., before returning home Wednesday for a doubleheader against Coker University starting at 1:00 p.m. at Richard Gray Sports Complex.
