University of South Carolina Beaufort Athletics

HARDEEVILLE, SC-The USCB baseball team split a doubleheader on Wednesday coming from behind to win game one by a 4-3 count over Southern Wesleyan at the Richard Gray Baseball Complex in Hardeeville. The visiting Warriors won the nightcap over the Sand Sharks 3-1. 

Southern Wesleyan got to USCB starter Adam Miller in the fourth inning as Josh Hutto hit a bloop double to short centerfield and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Joseph Taylor. The Sand Sharks evened the score in their half of the fourth as Brett Wheeler and Spencer Jackson led off the inning with consecutive singles. Brandon Cooksey delivered a single to drive home Wheeler to knot the score. 

The visitors scored two more runs in the fifth as an error and two singles by Stephen Wyatt and Aaron Plummer produced the final two runs for Southern Wesleyan for a 3-1 advantage. 

Larry Perry singled with one away in the Sand Sharks fifth frame. After stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error, Perry scored on an infield ground out by David O’Neil. 

Down 3-2 entering the last of the seventh and final inning, Perry reached on an infield error with one out. O’Neil singled to put Sand Shark runners at first and second base. RJ Neal than delivered an rbi single scoring Perry to tie the score with O’Neil advancing to third. Neal went to second on a ball in the dirt. Jeremy Webb then was intentionally walked to load the bases with one away. Left fielder Spencer Jackson came through with yet another clutch hit as he singled to right to score O’Neil giving USCB the come from behind victory. 

Miller pitched the first five frames for the Sand Sharks allowing six hits and three runs. Reliever Andres Castro came on to pitch the final two innings for USCB facing the minimum of six Warrior hitters to get the win. 

In game two, Southern Wesleyan’s pitching was the key as Matthew Large, Ryan Miller and Bradley Love combined for a five hitter allowing only one run as the visiting Warriors won by a 3-1 margin. Sand Shark Starter Ryan McCullough was the hard luck losing hurler giving up but seven hits and two earned runs through five and two thirds innings. Colton Rudd finished up on the mound for USCB. 

Southern Wesleyan scored two runs in the second frame highlighted by hits by Wyatt, Tyler Lollis, and Joseph Taylor. They scored an additional run in the fourth on an rbi single by designated hitter Seth Hunter.
The Sound Sharks tried to mount a second comeback in the final frame as Webb led off the inning with a double. He scored on a single by Cooksey to cut the deficit to 3-1. But that was as close as USCB would get as Love retired the next three Sand Sharks to end the game. 

The split gives USCB a 9-6 record for the season going into a tough stretch of games starting with doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday versus Fisher College. Saturday’s twinbill will begin at 1:00 while the Sunday doubleheader will start at noon at the Richard Gray Baseball Complex.