Box Score AIKEN, SC--Senior right hander
Wes McColl worked seven-plus effective innings and sophomore
Nick Wandless closed out the win as the USC Aiken Pacers (16-14) knocked off West Virginia State (20-7) 5-2 in non-conference baseball action on Friday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. USCA improved to 5-0 all-time versus the Yellow Jackets and have now won nine of their last 11 at home.
West Virginia State sent one of its aces to the hill in Marc Atkins. The 6-5 senior from Hurricane, W.V. entered the game a perfect 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA. Atkins took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before the Pacers' bats woke up.
Daniel Quartararo led off the fifth with USCA's first hit, a single to center field. Following a walk to
Zach Cooper and an interference call moving Quartararo to third base,
Ashley Farr grounded into a 3-6-4 double play, allowing Quartararo, however, to cross home plate to tie the game at 1-1.
Chris Sheehan added a two-out, RBI single scoring
Robert Davis as USCA took a 2-1 advantage.
Quartararo joined
Tony Hanks as Pacers with multi-hit games. Quartararo went 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored while Hanks was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Farr was 0-for-2 but walked twice to tie the career mark for walks with 92.
USCA added two more in the sixth on an RBI double by Quartararo and
Brandon Barenie scoring on a wild pitch from third base to make it 4-1.
After pushing across one run in the third on a Gerrad Talkington double to center field to score the game's first run, the Yellow Jackets looked to rally in the eighth. Following an RBI single to left field by Dana Samples to trim the margin to 4-2, West Virginia State loaded the bases with two outs. Wandless got Andy Maught to hit into a force out at second base to end the threat.
Davis tacked on an insurance run with a sacrifice fly pushing across Cooper in the bottom of the inning and to set the final margin at 5-2.
Talkington went 3-for-4 with one RBI for WVSC.
McColl (2-2) scattered eight hits and one walk, allowing two runs, both earned, and striking out four in 7.2 innings for the win. Wandless (3) did not allow a hit or run, walking one and fanning two in 1.1 innings for the save.
Atkins (4-1) suffered his first defeat of the season in 5.1 innings of work. He gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits and eight walks, striking out seven. Matt Tomblin surrendered one unearned run on three hits, fanning five in 2.0 innings of relief. Neal DeFazio recorded the final two outs of the eighth.
USC Aiken and West Virginia State will play game two of their three-game series tomorrow at 7:00 PM. Those fans that show their USCA Polo Tournament ticket at the gate will get in for a reduced admission price of $1.00.
West Virginia State........001 000 010 - 2 8 2
USC Aiken.......................000 022 01x - 5 8 0
E - Taylor 2. DP - Jackets 2; Pacers 1. LOB - Jackets 5; Pacers 12. 2B - Talkington(4); Adkins(4); Quartararo(7). HBP - Farr. SH - Sheehan(1); Tripp(1). SF - Davis(1). SB - Cooper(7); Farr(4); Hanks(2). CS - Talkington; Flinn.
