Box Score AIKEN, SC--
Bradley Key hit a bases-loaded double to the gap in left center to plate three runs in fueling an eight-run outburst in the sixth as USC Aiken (20-14) rallied to beat North Greenville (10-19) 13-8 in non-conference baseball action on Thursday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. USC Aiken won its sixth-straight game and improved to 6-0 all-time against the Crusaders.
The Pacers, winners of nine of their 10 overall, are settling in nicely in their new surroundings having won 13 of the last 15 at home.
Daniel Quartararo drew a bases-loaded walk to push across Key as the Pacers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Erich Weinmueller issued four free passes in the inning. Quartararo went 2-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, and three walks. He also extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the first.
Key, who has upped his average to .408 on the season, followed up last night's 4-for-4, five-RBI performance with a 2-for-3 night, driving in three and scoring three more times.
Three doubles in the fourth, however, gave North Greenville a 2-1 lead. Steve Smith and Vince Dimarco had back-to-back, one-out two-baggers to tie the game at 1-1. Josh Smith then doubled down the right field line with two outs to score Dimarco.
Jasteven Tate tripled to right field with Aaron Shealy on first and two outs to extend the Crusader lead to 3-1. Steve Smith promptly homered to left field to cap a three-run fifth and push the margin to 5-1.
Steve Smith went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored for North Greenville. Shealy was 3-for-5 while Josh Smith went 2-for-4 with a run driven in.
After
Mike Cunningham's RBI single in the fifth trimmed the advantage to 5-2, USCA erupted for eight runs on six hits and one error in the sixth to seize control of the game.
Key's bases-loaded double (15) was the big blow in the inning knotting the game up at 5-5. Matt Tripp,
Justin Williams, Quartararo, and
Zach Cooper all added two-out RBI singles as five of the Pacers' eight runs came with two outs.
Cunningham added an RBI single in the seventh and two more runs scored on errors as USC Aiken took a 13-5 lead. Cunningham went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Cooper and Tripp both recorded two hits and one RBI. As a team, the Pacers stranded 15 runs on bases including 10 through the first five innings.
Three runs in the top of the ninth by the Crusaders set the final margin at 13-8.
Jon Paul worked 4.2 innings for USCA allowing five earned runs on seven hits, striking out six in the no decision.
Chad McMurray (1-0) notched his first win of the season tossing 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and fanning two.
Peden Rucker and
Nick Wandless worked one inning each.
Weinmueller left with his team ahead after 4.1 innings scattering two earned runs on six hits and six walks, striking out one. Matt Marrone (1-6) suffered the loss surrendering four earned runs on two hits and two walks in 1.0 inning. Nick Groomes left up four more earned runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning.
USC Aiken will travel to Pembroke, N.C. this weekend to square off against UNC Pembroke in a key Peach Belt Conference series. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1:00 PM. North Greenville returns home to Tigerville, S.C. to host Carson-Newman on Tuesday, April 6 at 3:00 PM.
North Greenville........000 230 003 - 8 10 3
USC Aiken..................010 018 21x - 13 14 2
E - Shealy; Tate; Pinckey; Key; Calhoun. DP - Pacers 1. LOB - Crusaders 7; Pacers 15. 2B - St. Smith; Dimarco; J. Smith; Key(15); Tripp(4). 3B - Tate. HR - St. Smith. HBP - Tate; Rochester; Davis 2; Steen; Hanks. SH - Cooper(9). SB - Davis(2).
