Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--Junior first baseman Steven Kinney launched the first pitch he saw from Gib Bethea over the right field wall for the walk-off grand slam as the 12th ranked USC Aiken Pacers (24-8) rallied to knock off Anderson College (15-22) by the count of 9-5 in non-conference baseball action on Wednesday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. Combined with his 520 junior college wins, head coach Kenny Thomas now has 180 at USC Aiken giving him 700. 

The Pacers win for the 13th time in their last 15 games and up their record when scoring at least six runs to 20-1. 

Tied 5-5 in the top of the ninth, Jacob Reid doubled off Mark Yarbrough to lead off the inning for the Trojans. Nick Wandless (3-0) came in and, after walking Jonathan Pitts, settled down to strikeout the side. The Pacers' closer notched his second win in the last week and lowered his team leading ERA to 1.14. 

Robert Davis opened the home half of the ninth with a walk. Following a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Barenie, Mark Joehnk had a ground ball through the left side deflect off a diving Jeremy McCauley at third base allowing him to reach on the base hit. Scott Wandless was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out, but Kinney left no time to build suspense as the junior from Duncan, S.C. blasted the Bethea fastball over the wall in right field. It was his fourth homer of the season. 

Daniel Quartararo got the Pacers on the board in the first with a one out solo shot off the scoreboard in left to make it 1-0. Jessie Whiteside tripled to right center with two outs in the second inning to put Anderson on top 2-1. 

Joehnk singled home Davis in the third to knot the game up at 2-2, but the Trojans promptly answered with two in the fourth on a Jacob Reid double down the left field line. 

Zach Cooper hit his second career homer in the last five days with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and then Matt Tripp added an RBI double and Cooper an RBI single to put USC Aiken back in front 5-4. 

Whiteside singled to left field pushing across Kyle Lewis in the eighth inning to tie the game at 5-5. 

Cooper went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead USCA while Quartararo, Barenie, and Joehnk each had two hits. Casey Derhak's triple in the eighth inning extended his hitting streak to 17 games. 

Whiteside was a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI for the Trojans. Reid, Pitts, and Lewis chipped in two hits each. The two teams combined for 24 hits in the game. 

Harold Sofield came in for starter Jon Paul and pitched 4.0 superb innings of middle relief for USCA allowing just one run on two hits and one walk, fanning six. 

Aaron Griffith was chased after 5.1 innings giving up five earned runs on 10 hits and two walks, failing to register a strikeout in the no decision. Bethea (1-3) surrendered four earned runs on four hits and two walks in the loss. 

USC Aiken will host UNC Pembroke in a key three-game Peach Belt Conference series starting Friday, April 1 at 7:00 PM at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. 

Anderson..................020 200 010 - 5 10 1
#12 USC Aiken..........101 120 004 - 9 14 1

Note: 1 out, 0 runners LOB when the game ended.
E - Graham(1); Derhak(14). LOB - Trojans 10; Pacers 9. 2B - Reid 2(5); Pitts(13); Lewis(6); Davis(11); Barenie(4); Tripp(3). 3B - Whiteside(1); Derhak(7). HR - Quartararo(5); Kinney(4); Cooper(2). HBP - Whiteside. SH - Barenie(8). SB - Whiteside(5); Pui(11). CS - Cooper(3).