Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken's baseball team fell to Francis Marion University, 7-3, at Roberto Hernandez Stadium, tonight in the opener of a three-game weekend series. The Pacers (6-10, 2-5 PBC) made three errors in the first two innings and allowed the Patriots (9-7, 3-4 PBC) to build a 3-0 lead.

After an infield single, Chris Newman got FMU on the board with an RBI double to right field. A fielding error allowed Newman to advance to third and he crossed home plate on a Jason Weaver single to give the Patriots a 2-0 lead after one inning.

Brandon McClure walked to lead off the top of the second. Two fielding errors on a base hit by Kenneth Yeager into right field gave Francis Marion a 3-0 advantage.

The Pacers got two of the runs back in the bottom of the second inning off a two-run blast over the center field wall by Bradley Key. It was Key's second home run of the season. Robert Davis singled ahead of Key to lead off the inning. 

Adam Dutka led off the fourth inning for FMU with a triple. He scored two batters later on another single by Yeager. A sacrifice fly by Newman put the Patriots in front 5-2. Yeager finished two-for-three with two RBIs.

The Patriots tacked on one run in the sixth and another in the ninth to go up 7-2. Matthew Tripp doubled with one out in the bottom half of the ninth inning. He advanced to third on a bunt single by Zach Cooper that put runners at the corners. Tripp scored on a wild pitch but the USCA rally ended there. Back-to-back strikeouts by FMU's Erin Jones gave the Patriots a 7-3 win.

Jones went the distance for Francis Marion. He scattered nine hits, allowed three runs, two walks and struck out eight batters.

Key, Tripp and Cooper each finished with two hits in four at bats for USC Aiken. 

The Pacers and Patriots will finish up their three game series with a doubleheader on Saturday at Roberto Hernandez Stadium on the USCA campus. Game one will begin at 1:00 p.m. 

Francis Marion ....210 201 001 - 7 11 0
USC Aiken ...........020 000 001 - 3 9 4