Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PEMBROKE, N.C.--After opening their season on a 20-game homestand, #12 USC Aiken (17-5, 8-0 PBC) finally hit the road on Saturday and took the first two games of a three-game Peach Belt Conference series with UNC Pembroke (14-9, 2-9 PBC). The Pacers held off a Braves rally in the opener to win 10-7 and then used a three-hit shutout by senior Jon Paul to take the nightcap 6-0. With the two victories USCA is now off to the best start in conference play in the program's history. 

Entering the top of the sixth with a slim 5-4 lead, USC Aiken erupted for four runs to take a 9-4 lead. Senior Chris Sheehan was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to lead off the inning. After a groundout, Josh Eachues doubled down the right field line to plate Sheehan. The Pacers then scored three more runs on RBI singles by Zach Cooper, Darryl Pui, and Ben Tankersley. 

USCA starter Scott Wandless (5-0) got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh before getting relieved by senior Ryan Mitchell in the eighth. Mitchell ran into trouble in the eighth as a hit batter and a walk put two on with none out. After striking out the next batter, Kevin Dietrich hit the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to close the Pacer lead to 9-7. 

After USCA added an insurance run in the top of the ninth, closer Gary Lee worked around two hits in the bottom of the frame for his fifth save. 

Wandless allowed four runs on eight hits, but the junior southpaw struck out six and kept his season record unblemished. He has now won 15 straight decisions dating back to last season. 

Cooper went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI to lead the Pacers' 13-hit attack. Pui, Tankersley, and Eachus all added two hits. 

Paul (4-2) was tremendous on the mound for the Pacers in the second game as the senior allowed just three hits for his second career shutout. He worked seven complete innings and struck out four batters. 

UNC Pembroke starter Cody Crotts kept pace with Paul through four innings as the teams' were locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel. The Braves' defense let their starter down in the top of the fifth, where two errors led to four unearned runs for the Pacers. Sheehan had a two-RBI double in the frame. 

USCA added lone runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to close out the scoring. Another unearned run crossed the plate in the sixth, and Cooper finished off a strong day at the play with an RBI single in the seventh. 

Cooper went 2-for-3 with two RBI in game two as the senior again led the Pacer offense. Junior Chad Jacobsen went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Matt Spivey was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Sheehan had two RBI. 

The Pacers, who have now won eight consecutive games against UNC Pembroke, will play the series finale Sunday at 1:00 PM. 

Game One
USC Aiken................... 040 014 001 – 10 13 1
UNC Pembroke.......... 030 100 030 – 7 11 3

Win – Wandless (5-0); Loss – Cockcroft (2-1); Save – Lee(5)
E – Raborn(9); Bowman(7); Beck 2(7). LOB – USC Aiken 7, UNC Pembroke 11. 2B – Sheehan(6); Raborn(6); Eachues(2); Adams(4); Bentley(4). HR – Dietrich(3). HBP – Sheehan 2; Champion. SH – Spivey(2); Beck(6). SB – Pui(7); Key, M.(1); Cooper(3). CS – Tankersly(3).

Game Two
USC Aiken................... 000 041 1 – 6 10 0
UNC Pembroke.......... 000 000 0 – 0 3 4

Win – Paul (4-2); Loss – Crotts (2-2) 
E – Morales(8); Beck 2(9); Crotts(1). DP – USC Aiken 1; UNC Pembroke 1. LOB – USC Aiken 9; UNC Pembroke 4. 2B – Jacobsen(9); Dietrich(7). HBP – Tankersley. SH – Tankersley(4); Sherrer(3); Keith(2). SF – Cooper(2). CS – Spivey(2).