HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – The Thomas University baseball team had quite the field day against USC-Beaufort, not only picking up its first, SUN Conference win of the season but following up with a series win over the Sand Sharks for the fourth, straight year by sweeping the doubleheader day with 14-4 and 7-5 victories Saturday at Richard Gray Sports Complex.
 
The Night Hawks (18-25, 2-16 SUN) took what was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the Sand Sharks (22-23, 9-12 SUN) on Senior Day and instead stole the show with season and record highs.  Freshman Matthew Delay Jr. recorded his 20th double of the season, tying the all-time program record. The Green & White matched its season-high in hits with 16.
 
Game Two (TU 14, USCB 4 – 7 inn.)
Freshman Left-Hander Riley Fisher (3-8) snapped an eight-game, pitcher of record skid with a six-inning performance that saw the Brooksville, Fla. native give up four runs in six hits with four strikeouts.  Delay saw a 4-for-5 performance at the dish that included a triple and a double apiece.  Sophomore Turner Maddox led all hitters with three RBIs in a 3-for-4 slate at the plate.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Night Hawks set the tone, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning that was fueled by RBI doubles from Delay and Freshmen Jean Pool Checo and Dylan Schatzel, along with a 2RBI single from Maddox.
 
Following two runs scored from USCB, Delay's leadoff triple in the fourth set up a sacrifice fly from Redshirt Junior Bradley Fleenor on the next at-bat.  The Green & White pushed its lead back out to five runs (7-2) after Freshman Khadin Bastian recorded his first RBI on the day, sending Maddox in for the score.
 
The Sand Sharks responded with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to trim the Night Hawks' lead 7-4.
 
Thomas took advantage of a seventh-inning collapse from USC-Beaufort that saw seven runs allowed off five hits and two errors to put Thomas up 14-4.
 
Freshman Right-Hander Brandon Steele entered the game in the bottom of the seventh to wrap up the contest, forcing a 1-2-3 on USCB to give the Night Hawks its first mercy-rule win since Florida National on March 5th.
 
Game Three (TU 7, USCB 5)
On the mound, Freshman Right-Hander Justin Montanez (2-2) anchored the pitching staff, fanning five while allowing no earned runs off four hits in four and one-third innings pitched.  For the third time this week, Redshirt Junior Anthony Dorak batted over .500, finishing the game 2-for-3 with a RBI.
 
The Sand Sharks took advantage of Thomas' slow start, recording the contest's first four runs before the Night Hawks matched the scores, 4-4, in the top of the second.  Sophomore Luis Torres would ground out to second to bring in the first run before Dorak's lone RBI of the game on the next at-bat cut the deficit to two runs.  Redshirt Junior Bradley Fleenor tied the game with a 2RBI double to right center.
 
Following two quick outs in the first three at-bats in the bottom of the second, starting pitcher Dillon Rutland was pulled for Montanez, who fanned his first at-bat to end the inning.
 
Thomas took its first lead of Game Three in Inning Three off a Sand Shark fielding error, scoring two runs that put TU in front 6-4.
 
After USCB added a run in the fourth to cut TU's lead to 6-5, the next three innings became a defensive battle on both sides.  Thomas would break that defensive deadlock in the top of the eighth, as a Fleenor groundout brought in Sophomore William Martinez to give the Night Hawks a slim, two-run lead 7-5.
 
After the Sand Sharks fouled out on its leadoff hitter in the bottom of the eighth, a single from Leandy Castro paired with back-to-back walks loaded the bases before Steele approached the bump for the second time on the day to neutralize the next two at-bats and spoil USCB's comeback attempt.  The native of Ocoee, Fla. finished off the opposition in four at-bats in the ninth to solidify TU's 7-5 win and the series.
 
Thomas closes out the overall SUN Conference series with USC-Beaufort winning five of the last seven contests.
 
TU by the Numbers
2:        SUN Conference wins
4:        Straight, series wins over USCB
9:        Double-digit run games on the season
13:      Overall wins vs. USCB
20:      Matthew Delay's season doubles
21:      Runs scored on the day
24:      Hits on the day
 
TU is back on the road Tuesday with a non-conference matchup against Brewton-Parker College.  First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
 
For up-to-date information on games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksBaseba.