Box Score AIKEN, SC--USC Aiken (2-3) erupted for 10 runs in the second inning en route to a 21-5 rout of Lincoln Memorial (1-2) in non-conference baseball action on Sunday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. The Pacers won their second-straight and take the series with the Railsplitters 2-1.
Freshman
Zach Cooper led off the bottom of the first inning for USCA with a single up the middle. After
Ashley Farr was hit by a pitch,
Bradley Key singled through the left side with one out to plate Cooper.
Robert Davis then doubled home Farr and Key to make it 3-0.
Ian Kowalchuk continued the big first inning for the Pacers with a double to right field scoring two more.
Cooper, Farr, Davis, and Kowalchuk all tallied two hits each for the Pacers.
Daniel Quartararo and
Casey Calhoun also had multi-hit days. Davis drove in four runs to lead the team while Farr and Quartararo each scored three times.
Cooper led off the second inning with a double to left field. Following a ground out to the first baseman by Farr to advance Cooper to third, the wheels fell off of the Railsplitter defense. In the inning, USC Aiken sent 16 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs on six hits. LMU committed six errors in the inning including three by third baseman Justin O'Brien.
Davis (2) hit his second homer in as many days in the 10-run second, a two-run blast over the left field wall to extend the Pacer lead to 8-0.
Bob Hatcher doubled down the left field line while Farr and Quartararo each had RBI singles in the inning. When the smoke cleared, the Pacers led 15-0 after two complete innings.
Nick Wandless (1-0) got the start and picked up his first win of the season (NCAA rule 25.b.2). He went 3.0 innings not allowing a run on one hit and four walks, striking out two. Seven more Pacer hurlers worked the final 6.0 innings.
Lincoln Memorial finally got on the board in the seventh when
Adam Green walked the bases loaded and Matt Meachen provided the big hit, and RBI double down the left field line.
USCA tacked on three more in the third and three in the seventh. LMU pushed across one more in the eighth to set the final margin at 21-5. LMU stranded 15 base runners while the Pacers left 12 on base.
Joe Workman (0-1) was chased after 2.0 innings of work allowing 15 runs, five earned, on 10 hits and two walks. Art Battle and Patrick Bolton limited the Pacers offense to six runs on six hits over the final 6.0 innings.
Meachen led LMU with a 3-for-4 day at the plate including two RBI and a pair of doubles. Wes Strader also pounded out two hits while Mickey Apple had two RBI.
USC Aiken will travel to Spartanburg, SC on Saturday, February 14 for the start of a three-game series with USC Spartanburg. Saturday's 1:00 PM doubleheader will serve as the Peach Belt Conference opener for both teams.
Lincoln Memorial.......000 000 410 - 5 6 7
USC Aiken...................5(10)3 000 30x - 21 16 1
