Box Score AIKEN, S.C.--Sophomore third baseman
Ken Raborn put the Pacers up early with a three-run homer in the first inning as 24th ranked USC Aiken (7-2, 3-0 PBC) completed the Peach Belt Conference series sweep of North Georgia (2-7, 0-3 PBC) with a 9-1 win on Sunday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. With their fifth-straight victory, the Pacers have won four consecutive series dating back to the end of last season and post their first home conference sweep since taking out UNC Pembroke on April 3, 2005. (PHOTO COURTESY OF EDDIE SHERRER)
Darryl Pui and
Ben Tankersley led off the home half of the first with a pair of singles. With two on and no outs, however, the inning appeared to be short-circuited when
Chad Jacobsen lined into an unassisted double player at first base. After a walk to
Chris Sheehan, Raborn crushed the 1-1 offering from Zach Black over the wall in right field for his second home run of the season, making it 3-0 Pacers.
Tankersley turned in a 3-for-4 day while Sheehan was 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Raborn was officially 1-for-1 on the day, but reached base all four trips to the plate, walking twice and getting hit by a pitch. He scored three times. Jacobsen had his modest eight-game hitting streak snapped after going 0-for-2.
Still 3-0 in the fourth, Raborn scored on a wild pitch and
Zach Cooper's sacrifice fly plated
Josh Eachues to extend the margin to 5-0.
In the fifth, the Pacers blew the game open with a pair of two-RBI hits, a double to right center by Sheehan and
Marc Joehnk's bases loaded single through the left side to balloon the spread to 9-0.
Beau Hill (3-0) tossed a 7.0 inning gem, facing just three over the minimum, in notching the win in his first career PBC start. The Aiken, S.C. native allowed only one hit, walking two, and fanning seven. He tossed 54 of his 86 pitches for strikes.
Until the ninth, Pacer pitchers allowed just one Saint to reach third base all afternoon, Craig Brisson in the fourth inning.
Neil Krock's two-out double down the left field line scored Anders Oster in the top of the ninth as North Georgia avoided the shutout.
Black (0-2) was touched for seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out three in 4.0 innings in the loss for the Saints.
USC Aiken continues its 20-game season-opening homestand by hosting Brevard College in a mid-week two-game set, beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 6:00 PM at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. North Georgia will play at Anderson, also on Tuesday, at 3:00 PM.
North Georgia......000 000 001 - 1 4 1
#24 USC Aiken.....300 240 00x - 9 9 1
E - Brisson(2); Franklin(2). DP - Saints 3. LOB - Saints 6; Pacers 4. 2B - Oster(2); Krock(1); Sheehan(2). HR - Raborn(2). HBP - Raborn. SH - Joehnk(2). SF - Cooper(1). CS - Tankersley(1); Cooper(1); Spivey(1)
