Bobby Wenthe Breaks Single Season Home Run Mark

BABSON PARK, Fla. – The USCB baseball team crowned a new single-season home run king while dropping both ends of a doubleheader at No. 15 Webber International on Saturday.

Bobby Wenthe (Teutopolis graduate) homered in both games to bring his season total to nine, surpassing Ashly Morris' single-season program record set in 2015. Wenthe's blasts weren't enough to propel the Sand Sharks to a series victory, though, as the Warriors won the first game of the day 10-4 and outlasted the Sand Sharks for a 5-4 win in 11 innings in the rubber match of the three-game set.

GAME 1 – WIU 10, USCB 4

The Sand Sharks grabbed an early lead with a run in the second, but the Warriors chased starter Justin Kortessis during a four-run third inning and tacked on two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to break it open.

Wenthe had an RBI double in the sixth and sent a towering two-run shot to center in the eighth to tie Morris' record, but the Sand Sharks could not overcome six errors.

Wenthe, Thomas Estopare and Wade Arduini each had three hits for USCB.

Bojangles' Player of the Game: Bobby Wenthe (3-for-4, 2 2Bs, HR, 2 R, 3 RBIs)

GAME 2 – WIU 5, USCB 4 (11 inn.)

Alex Murphy's solo shot in the fifth inning broke a scoreless tie, but the Warriors answered with a run in the bottom of the frame.

Wenthe's two-run shot put USCB back on top – and put the junior slugger atop the Sand Sharks' single-season list – but Webber again responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Kal Davis delivered an RBI single in the eighth to tie it, but the Sand Sharks stranded two runners in scoring position.

It remained tied at 4 until the 11th, when Sjaghbar Martis delivered a game-ending RBI double to left-center for the Warriors.

Zac Burke took the loss but kept the Sand Sharks in the game with four scoreless innings of relief before the Warriors finally broke through against him in the 11th. The junior right-hander allowed one run and two hits over 4 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Murphy had three hits, while Davis and Wenthe added two apiece.

Bojangles' Player of the Game: Alex Murphy (3-for-5, 2B, HR, R, RBI)

FIN FACTS

With nine home runs in his first season at USCB, Wenthe is tied for second on the Sand Sharks' career list, trailing all-time leader Erik Armstrong by four. … USCB is fifth in the Sun Conference standings and three games ahead of sixth-place Thomas, which hosts the Sand Sharks for a three-game set next weekend. The top six teams qualify for the conference tournament. … The Sand Sharks have recorded at least 12 hits in six straight games.