USCB takes 2 from Coker, swept at GCSU
By Brackin Lambert
uscbathletics.com
The USCB softball team picked up a pair of wins over Coker College in their final home games of the campaign on Wednesday before the season came to a close Monday afternoon when USCB fell in the final two contests of the year to Georgia College, losing 5-0 and 3-1 to complete a three-game sweep.
It took only two innings for history to made at the Richard Gray Sports Complex in Hardeeville as Cierra Kinlaw notched two milestones in the opener against Coker.
The junior lefty recorded her 100th strikeout of the season with her first inning punch-out of Caitie Wray and just four batters later she notched her 200th career strikeout, moving into fifth place in the all-time Sand Shark record book. The Cobra’s tried to spoil the celebratory afternoon scoring three runs in the top half of the third, but the bats woke up and backed Kinlaw (10-7) who allowed four runs on 10 hits with eight strikeouts.
Addie Reynolds put Beaufort on the board after lacing a double that skated all the way to the fence after Katelyn Boyette worked a two-out walk. Taelor Chang made it a one-run ball game after singling to center. USCB added two more in the fourth following Jaden Goodwin’s RBI single and Boyette’s double before exploding for three runs in the fifth on the back of Makenzie Fore’s three-run moonshot to right center.
It was all Sand Sharks in game two as Abigail Ramirez (3-9) tossed an absolute gem, with her only blemish being a solo homer in the fourth. The junior struckout give while giving up only five hits.
Tamiyah Whitlock ripped a single passed Coker’s first baseman to score the first run and then came around to score on a throwing error from the catcher. Two runs crossed in the fourth and then Goodwin tied the single-season doubles record with her 17th double of the season and Saria Simmons plated three runs in the fourth before Whitlock capped a two-hit, two RBI performance with bunt single up the middle. Ramirez worked around base runners in the seventh and secured the sweep.
The Sand Sharks end the season with a 20-25 overall record and a 4-20 Peach Belt Conference mark.
