ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA — The University of South Carolina Beaufort baseball team continued its three-game series against Flagler on Saturday, but a three-run seventh inning by the Saints sealed the win as Flagler closed out a 7–3 victory over the Sand Sharks in game two of the series.
Flagler improved to 14–6 overall and 4–4 in conference play, while USCB fell to 4–15 on the season with an 0–11 mark in conference action.
Ian Barnes delivered six innings on the mound for the Sand Sharks, striking out two batters. Cole Thomas added a scoreless outing in 1⅓ innings of relief. Offensively, Cooper McDaniel led the way with two hits, an RBI, and a run scored, while Noah Campbell recorded two hits and scored a run.
USCB struck first in the top of the first inning. McDaniel reached on a one-out single and advanced to third after stealing second and third base. Jon Davis then drove him in with an RBI single to give the Sand Sharks an early 1–0 lead. Barnes followed with a perfect bottom half of the inning to keep USCB in front.
Flagler responded in the bottom of the second. A leadoff single followed by a stolen base set up a fielder's choice that brought home the tying run, evening the score at 1–1.
The Sand Sharks reclaimed the lead in the third inning. Campbell and McDaniel opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and Andrew Walters lifted a sacrifice fly to score Campbell and make it 2–1.
The Saints answered again in the bottom half of the inning. A single and double put pressure on the USCB defense, and a passed ball tied the game at 2–2. An error later in the inning allowed Flagler to take its first lead of the game, 3–2.
Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth before USCB tied the game in the fifth. Cade Sikoski led off with a double to right-center field and later scored when McDaniel reached on a fielder's choice, tying the game at 3–3.
Flagler regained the lead in the sixth inning. With two outs, the Saints kept the inning alive with a single and later delivered an RBI single to move ahead 4–3.
The Saints then broke through again in the seventh. After the first two batters reached base, a wild pitch extended the lead to 5–3, and a two-RBI double pushed the advantage to 7–3.
Walters singled in the eighth inning, but a double play helped Flagler escape the frame and maintain the lead. The Saints then closed out the game in the ninth to seal the series victory.
USCB and Flagler will conclude the series Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Flagler.
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