BEAUFORT, S.C. – USC Beaufort scored seven runs in the first three innings and went on to take a 9-4 victory over Benedict College in a non-conference baseball game on Tuesday.

Benedict falls to 22-14 overall. USC Beaufort improves to 31-18.

The Sand Sharks opened the game with two runs in the bottom of the first inning, and added another run in the second for a 3-0 lead. Benedict put a pair of runs on the board in the top of the third. Omar Compton hit a two-out double to right field to score Andrew McCoy, who was hit by a pitch. A USC Beaufort error allowed Compton to score.

USC Beaufort scored four runs in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded, the Sand Sharks pulled off a triple-steal to make it 6-2. A hit batsman later loaded the bases again, and a walk scored another run to make it 7-2.

Robert Troiano III hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and McCoy had an RBI single in the sixth to cut the lead to 7-4. USC Beaufort added a run in the seventh and another one in the eighth to wrap up the scoring.

Four Benedict pitchers combined to allow 11 hits, walked eight, had four wild pitches and hit two batters. Starter Ricardo Pagan took the loss to fall to 1-5.

McCoy and Joel Manzano had two hits each to lead the Tigers at the plate.

Benedict travels to Alabama to close out the regular season this weekend with a conference three-game series against Tuskegee.