Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 AIKEN, S.C.--USC Aiken (39-17, 16-14 PBC) and Lander (30-28, 11-18 PBC) split a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader on Thursday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. The 16th ranked Pacers took game one by the count of 7-2, but the Bearcats rallied for a two-hit shutout in the nightcap 2-0. USCA closes out the 2005 regular season with their best record since 1993, but one win shy of the program's eighth 40-win season in its 33-year history.
The Pacers won the series with the Bearcats 2-1, but after entering the week ranked fifth in the NCAA South Atlantic Region poll, must wait until Sunday to find out their fate. Only four teams qualify for postseason play in each region. USCA is seeking its first postseason invite in a dozen years. Lander closes its second straight 30-win campaign.
USCA, who hopped on the board with an unearned run in the first, got an RBI double by
Steven Kinney and an RBI single off the bat of
Marc Joehnk in the third inning to make it a 3-0 game.
James Compo singled home Ryan Roeder, who led off the fourth inning with a double, to trim the deficit to 3-1 for Lander.
But the Pacers responded with an RBI double by Quartararo followed by
Robert Davis' single through the left side of the infield plating Quartararo.
Quartararo wasn't done on senior night as he smacking his team-leading eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field making it 7-1 in the sixth. The All-Conference second baseman finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Kevin Davis drew a bases loaded walk in the eighth with no body out, but reliever
Chris Ericksen came on to induce a 1-2-3 double play to short circuit the inning as the Pacers won 7-2.
Kinney finished 2-for-4 for USCA while Radley Raven, David Walton, and Compo each tallied two hits for the Bearcats.
On the mound,
Peden Rucker (5-4) tossed 7.0 strong innings allowing two runs, both earned, scattering eight hits and one walk, and fanning five. Ericksen worked a near flawless 2.0 innings of relief.
Chris Marks (3-4) was chased after 4.0 innings surrendering five runs, four earned, on eight hits, striking out one in the loss.
In game two, the Lander pitching duo of William Dudley and Tyler Addison held the Pacers to just two hits in the seven-inning contest.
Walton's two-out single to center field plated Ryan Brisby in the third with the eventual game winner. Roeder added a sacrifice fly in the fifth for an insurance run.
Walton went 3-for-4 with one RBI while Raven was 2-for-4 for the Bearcats.
Darryl Pui had both of the Pacers' hits going 2-for-2.
Dudley (1-1) pitched 5.0 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball striking out five. Addison (3) held USCA to one hit over the final 2.0 innings for the save.
Jon Paul (5-3) suffered the hard-luck loss for the Pacers giving up two earned runs on nine hits, striking out three and not walking a batter.
In between games, USC Aiken honored 11 seniors playing in their final home game. They were:
Brandon Barenie, Derek Claussen,
Steve Dunham,
Bob Hatcher,
Patrick Jones,
Daniel Quartararo,
Harold Sofield,
Jerod Summer, Matt Tripp,
Bobby White, and
Justin Williams.
GAME ONE
Lander.........................000 100 010 - 2 8 2
#16 USC Aiken............102 202 00x - 7 10 1
E - Ryals 2(11); Joehnk(15). DP - Pacers 2. LOB - Bearcats 9; Pacers 7. 2B - Roeder(11); Quartararo(17); Kinney(7); Barenie(8). HR - Quartararo(8). HBP - Roeder; Davis; Joehnk. SH - Cooper(8). SB - Joehnk(10). CS - Pui(4).
Boxscore
GAME TWO
Lander........................001 010 0 - 2 9 0
#16 USC Aiken...........000 000 0 - 0 2 0
DP - Bearcats 2. LOB - Bearcats 8; Pacers 5. 2B - Raven(10). SH - Myers(6); Ryals(6). SF - Roeder(9). SB - Pui(18).
