MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA – The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team faced Georgia College & State University in a doubleheader to open a three-game series against the Bobcats. Georgia College & State swept the twin bill with an 11-0 win in game one and a 9-2 victory in game two.
The Sand Sharks fall to 4-11 on the season with an 0-8 conference record.
GAME ONE
Raeder McIntire looked to start things for the Sand Sharks early, drawing a leadoff walk and stealing second base. Andrew Walters later reached to put two runners on in the inning, but the Bobcats worked out of the jam to keep the game scoreless.
The game remained scoreless into the bottom of the second inning when Georgia College & State opened the frame with a leadoff double before Joe Turner worked around the jam. USCB worked around the threat to keep the game 0-0 through two innings of play.
McIntire reached second on a one-out error in the third, but back-to-back strikeouts kept the game tied at 0-0. The pitchers' duel continued into the bottom of the fourth inning when Georgia College & State took the first lead of the game.
The inning began with a leadoff home run to make it 1-0. A single and two stolen bases set up a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 2-0. A double pushed the advantage to 3-0 before the Bobcats loaded the bases and plated two runs on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. A grand slam later in the inning stretched the deficit to 9-0, and Georgia College & State added another run to cap a 10-run fourth inning.
The Bobcats added one more in the fifth on an RBI double following a leadoff walk. Georgia College & State secured the 11-0 win, holding the Sand Sharks hit less in the game.
GAME TWO
The Bobcats recorded a double in the first inning, but Ian Barnes worked around the early trouble to keep the game scoreless. USCB put a runner in scoring position in the second after singles from Joe Turner and McIntire, but Georgia College & State again escaped the inning without allowing a run.
GCSU struck first in the bottom of the second, as a leadoff single and stolen base led to an RBI single and a 1-0 advantage.
In the fourth, the Sand Sharks threatened with back-to-back singles from Noah Campbell and McIntire, but three straight strikeouts ended the rally.
USCB responded in the fifth, taking a 2-1 lead. Cade Sikoski singled to open the inning, followed by a single from TJ McCluney to put runners on first and second. Campbell delivered a two-RBI single, scoring McCluney and Sikoski.
Georgia College & State answered in the bottom half of the fifth. With runners on first and second, a two-RBI double regained the lead at 3-2. An error later in the inning allowed two more runs to score, giving GCSU a 5-2 lead through five innings. A sacrifice fly in the sixth extended the advantage to 6-2.
The Bobcats added their final runs in the eighth. Back-to-back hit-by-pitches set up a two-RBI double to make it 8-2, and a passed ball brought home the final run for a 9-2 lead.
Georgia College & State closed out the 9-2 victory to clinch the series.
The Sand Sharks return to action Sunday afternoon to close out the three-game series, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
