Pacers Acquire Crucial Road Victory in Battle of Top 25 Teams
SALISBURY, N.C. – In a battle top 25 teams, the 19th-ranked USC Aiken baseball team picked up an important 8-5 road victory over No. 24 Catawba in non-conference baseball action at Newman Park on Tuesday evening.
The victory improves the Pacers to 29-15 on the 2010 season, while the loss drops the Indians to 34-10 on the year.
The Pacers put on an offensive exhibition in the game, collecting 11 more hits than the Indians in the game at 17-6.
USC Aiken was able to get on the scoreboard early in the top of the first inning with Nick Aranas (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) blasting a home run to right field. The solo shot was Aranas’ ninth tater of the 2010 season.
Catawba evened things at 1-1 in the bottom of the second stanza on a Greg Lawson run. Lawson had doubled to centerfield to get on base earlier in the frame.
Lawson scored again two innings later to earn the Indians a 2-1 advantage. After singling to get on base, Lawson worked his way around the bases before being brought home on an RBI ground out by Catawba leadoff hitter Wade Moore.
The Pacers would not let the Catawba lead last long, rattling off four runs in the top of the next inning to acquire a 5-2 lead. All four runs came with two outs.
Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) got things going for USC Aiken in the inning when he doubled down the right field line with one out. After a Bill Rice (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester County) ground out moved him over to third base with two outs, Aranas came through once again by singling to centerfield to score Carmon. Travis Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC Salkehatchie) then singled down the right field line to place runners at the corners for the Pacers with two outs.
The score 2-2, JJ Loker (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) singled in Aranas for a 3-2 advantage for the Pacers. The very next play an error by the Catawba third baseman allowed Howard to score and left the Pacers up by two at 4-2. Matt Key (New Ellenton, S.C./Silver Bluff) secured USC Aiken’s final run of the inning by singling in Loker.
The next inning, Catawba would pull one of the runs back on a Craige Lyerly home run.
USC Aiken would earn the run back in the top of the seventh inning on a David Vitko (Columbiana, Ohio/Youngstown State) RBI that scored Howard. Catawba would then utilize the long ball once again to pull within one at 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning on back-to-back home runs by John Neese and Ryan Bostian.
The Pacers would extend their lead back to three runs at 8-5 in the top of the eighth inning. Aranas and Howard scored the two runs in the top half of the eighth inning with Vitko singling up the middle to score Howard for the second run of the inning. Aranas scored on a fielding error by the Catawba left fielder.
The three runs would prove to be all that the Pacers would need with Chad Benefield (Dallas, Ga./Southern Union CC) striking out Neese in the Indians’ final at-bat to help him collect his seventh save of the year.
Pitching in relief of starter Thomas McLeod (Chapin, S.C./Chapin), USC Aiken’s Steven Owens (Sykesville, Md./Richmond) picked up his sixth win of the year in the contest. Owens (6-3) hurled three innings and struck out two.
Catawba starter Brett Hatley suffered the loss. He allowed five runs (three earned) in 4.2 innings on the mound.
The Pacers had four players finish with multiple hits with Aranas leading the way. Aranas finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Howard was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
Loker and Vitko were the final two Pacers to finish with multiple hits as Loker was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI, while Vitko was 2-for-4.
Lawson was the only Catawba player to finish with multiple hits. He was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
USC Aiken returns to the friendly confines of Roberto Hernandez Stadium tomorrow (Wednesday) for a 6:30 p.m. contest against Claflin.
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