Pacers Open Title Defense by Taking Two from League Newcomer Montevallo
MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The nationally-ranked USC Aiken baseball team
opened its defense of its 2009 Peach Belt Conference Championship
by sweeping two games from league newcomer Montevallo on Saturday
afternoon at Kermit A. Johnson Stadium. USC Aiken picked up a 13-9
victory in game one before garnering a 4-2 victory in the
nightcap.
The two victories mean that USC Aiken has now claimed two
consecutive series. The Pacers took two of three from Georgia
Southwestern last week at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
The two wins moved the Pacers back above .500 at 7-6. USC Aiken is
now 2-0 in the PBC. Montevallo is currently 6-10 overall (0-2
PBC).
The Pacers will have the chance to acquire their first series sweep
of the year in the series finale tomorrow (Sunday) at 2 p.m.
EST.
Five Pacers finished with multiple hits in USC Aiken's 13-9 victory
in game one. The Pacers out-hit the Falcons, 16-12, in total in the
contest.
Noah Wethington (Rock Island, Ill./Blackhawk College) and Stephen
Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) both led the way for the Pacers in
game one at the dish with both rapping out three hits each. Both
also scored three runs with Carmon collecting an RBI.
A trio of Pacers had two hits each in the first game with Jowan
Gray (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken), David Vitko (Columbiana,
Ohio/Youngstown State) and Bill Rice (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester
Community College) all commandeering three hits. Rice secured four
RBIs in the game to go along with three runs, while Vitko from his
leadoff position had two RBIs and scored two runs. Gray had an
RBI.
Steven Owens (Sykesville, Md./Richmond) picked up his third
consecutive win from the hill in the game. Owens dealt 6.2 innings,
striking out six. Owens is now 3-1 on the year.
In the second game, the Pacers opened things up with a 3-0
advantage that was buoyed by a Nick Aranas (Lexington,
S.C./Lexington) two-run home run.
Montevallo plated two in the bottom portion of the first inning to
cut the Pacer advantage to just one at 3-2.
The score would remain 3-2 until the top of the seventh inning when
Rice singled in Wethington for an insurance run that garnered the
Pacers a 4-2 victory.
Clayton Knight (Goose Creek, S.C./Limestone) pitched 7.1 strong
innings on the hill to secure his first win of the 2010 season.
Knight, who fanned six in the contest, is now 1-2 on the young
season.
Chad Benefield (Dallas, Ga./Southern Union CC) pitched the ninth
for the Pacers to obtain his first save of the season.
The reigning Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week, Rice
continued his recent offensive onslaught by finishing with a
team-best three hits. Rice was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run
scored in the game. In total on Saturday, Rice had a team-best five
hits with six RBIs and four runs scored. Rice presently has 28 RBIs
through USC Aiken's first 13 games.
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