Pacers Stumble Against Hurricanes
AIKEN, S.C. - The nationally-ranked USC Aiken Pacer baseball
team dropped the first game of a weekend series to Georgia
Southwestern 8-2 in a game that was close until the very
end.
The loss drops the Pacers to 3-6 on the season while the Hurricanes
improve to 3-1.
The Hurricanes put themselves on the board first in the top of the
second inning when catcher Paschel Poston scored on a Kevin Carroll
ground out to second base.
The Hurricanes would then stretch their lead to 2-0 in the top of
the third inning when Bud Long crossed the plate on a Zack Stanton
sacrifice fly to centerfield.
The Pacers found the equalizers in the bottom of the third inning.
Matt Key (Silver Bluff, S.C./Silver Bluff) reached base and then
advanced to third base on two failed pickoff attempts.
After senior catcher Gary Asbill (Batesburg,
S.C./Batesburg-Leesville) reached base by being walked, sophomore
Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) laid down a bunt to reach base
and advance Asbill to second, loading the bases. Bill Rice (Sewell,
N.J./Gloucester County) then stepped up and sent a sacrifice fly to
right field scoring Key.
Senior slugger Travis Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC Salkehatchie)
loaded the bases by reaching first on an error by the Hurricanes'
third baseman allowing Carmon and Asbill to advance to second and
third respectively. Designated hitter Nick Aranas (Lexington,
S.C./Lexington) was then walked to score Asbill, tying the game at
two all.
It wouldn't be until the top of the sixth inning before either team
could find the go-ahead run. Georgia Southwestern edged ahead of
the Pacers off a Carroll sacrifice fly that scored Heath Lock,
setting the score at 3-2.
The Pacers were unable to weather the Hurricanes' bats down the
final stretch. Georgia Southwestern put up five runs and five hits
in the top of the ninth inning to put the game out of reach for USC
Aiken. In total, the Hurricanes collected 13 hits and five errors
on the game while the Pacers combined for seven hits and just one
error.
Long and Byron Haynes led the Hurricanes on offense from the dish
going 3-for-5 at the dish with Long adding two runs. Carroll was
1-for-2 from the plate with one run and two RBIs.
Aranas and Carmon, both of whom went 2-for-4 at the plate, led the
Pacers in their effort on offense. Aranas also had one RBI on
the afternoon.
Jody Sellars earned the win for the Hurricanes pitching in seven
innings of work. He improves to 2-0 for the 2010 season.
Right-handed senior hurler Clayton Knight (Goosecreek,
S.C./Limestone) suffered the loss on the mound for the Pacers in
six innings of work, dropping to 0-2 in the 2010 campaign.
The Pacers and Hurricanes will continue their weekend three-game
series with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 20. The teams will then
close out the weekend with a 1 p.m. match-up on Sunday, Feb. 21.
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