HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - A doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon gave the Sand Sharks of the University of South Carolina Beaufort a 2-1 series win over Warner University in The Sun Conference opener for both schools. The Royals won game one of the twin bill 8-4 but lost game two in a slugfest 12-9. The split moves the Royals' record to 2-5 and opens their conference schedule at 1-2. The Sand Sharks improve to 10-2 overall and 2-1 in league play.
After two scoreless innings to begin the doubleheader,
George Kirkland opened the scoring for the Royals with a RBI-single in the third inning scoring
Kevin Gregg from third base. Two innings later the Royals blew the game open scoring five runs on three hits.
Broderick Rodocker blasted a two-out triple that scored two runs in the inning.
Dylan Gross also had a RBI hit in the inning.
The 6-0 lead was more than enough for Royals' senior starter
Dylan Heiring who blanked the Sand Sharks for the first five innings of the game. The Sand Sharks scratched across their first run of the game in the sixth inning but bounced back for a scoreless seventh inning.
The Sand Shark score three times in eight and ninth innings but the Royals picked up two big insurance runs in the same innings as well.
Randy Rodriguez and Gregg scored both runs with RBI-singles.
After Heiring left the game in the eighth inning,
Blaine Rhea tossed the final 1.1 innings preserving the 8-4 victory for the Royals. Heiring (1-2) pitched 7.2 innings scattering eight hits and three runs (one earned). He also struck out five batters.
Offensively, the Royals posted their second straight 10-hit game and were led at the plate by
Kevin Gregg who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Broderick Rodocker, Dylan
Gross and
George Kirkland all went 2-for-5.
In game two, both offenses were on display as the two sides combined for 21 runs and 25 hits. The Sand Sharks scored in four straight innings beginning with four runs in the second inning and led 9-5 after five innings.
Randy Rodriguez doubled home a run in the third inning and homered to left center in the fifth inning.
The Royals scored three runs in the sixth inning to cut the Sand Sharks lead to one then tied things up in the top of the seventh. Rodriguez doubled home his fourth and fifth runs of the game in the sixth and
Torri Pringle singled to drive in a run as well.
Tomas Rivera drove in the game-tying run in the seventh.
The Sand Sharks continued to swing a hot bat and scored three more runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning to take the lead for good 12-9. The Royals put runners on base in the final two innings but could not get them home.
Jordan Pike (0-1) took the loss in relief for the Royals tossing two innings out of the pen.
Blaine Rhea,
Eric Green and
Anthony Dovale also saw innings out of the pen and all had shutout performances.
The Royals totaled 33 hits in their opening conference series capped off with 12 in the series finale.
Randy Rodriguez ended the series on fire going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homerun and five RBIs. He also scored two runs.
Torri Pringle scored three runs and went 3-for-4 at the plate.
Anthony Dovale also collected two hits (2-for-5) and scored a run.
Next week features six games for the Royals, five at home and one on the road. First up on Monday, Feb. 16, the Royals welcome in Colorado Christian University. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
