Box Score
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Nationally-ranked USC Aiken once again
utilized the long ball along with 14 total hits to conclude its
trip to the Sunshine State with a 13-8 victory over defending
national champion Lynn on Saturday afternoon at the McCusker
Sportsplex.
The Pacer victory over the Fighting Knights snapped Lynn's
12-game unbeaten streak (11-0-1) against top 25 programs. More
importantly, it improved USC Aiken to 2-5 on the 2010 campaign.
Lynn dropped to 4-2-1 on the year with the series-ending loss to
the Pacers.
USC Aiken jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the contest over the
first four innings.
Bill Rice (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester Community College) procured
the first two runs of the contest for the Pacers in the top of the
second inning. Rice singled to right field to bring in Gary Asbill
(Batesburg, S.C./Batesburg-Leesville) and Stephen Carmon (Camden,
S.C./Camden). Both Asbill and Carmon had arrived on base via
singles of their own.
USC Aiken would go on top 4-0 in the top of the third frame with
two more runs. Jowan Gray (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken) obtained the
first run of the inning for USC Aiken when he blasted his second
home run of the year and the series. Designated hitter Matt Key
(New Ellenton, S.C./Silver Bluff) tripled a couple batters later to
put another Pacer in scoring position. Asbill took advantage,
singling to right field to plate Key and garner the Pacers a 4-0
lead.
Lynn would earn one back in the bottom portion of the third, but
USC Aiken would post four more in the top of the fourth to own an
8-1 lead. David Vitko (Columbiana, Ohio/Youngstown State) belted
his second home run of the 2010 campaign to commence things in the
frame for the Pacers. A few batters later with two Pacers on base,
Noah Wethington (Rock Island, Ill./Blackhawk College) hit a
three-run tater to pull USC Aiken ahead by seven runs at 8-1.
The bottom half of the fourth started to look eerily similar to
the first two games in the series as Lynn was able to push six runs
across the dish to cut the Pacer lead to one run at 8-7. The
highlight of the six-run bottom of the fourth for the Fighting
Knights was a grand slam by Chris Chavez.
USC Aiken would score one in the top of the fifth on an RBI
double by Rice to take a 9-7 lead. The score would remain the same
until the top of the seventh when USC Aiken put the game out of
reach for the Fighting Knights with a four-run inning to take a
13-7 lead.
The four-run frame by the Pacers erased any Lynn aspirations of
mounting a late game rally just like in the previous two games in
the series on Friday and Saturday. Vitko acquired two of the RBIs
in the inning on his second home run of the contest.
Lynn would be able to get one back in the bottom of the eighth
inning, but the Pacers would hold on for the five-run win.
Jason Cochcroft (Gilbert, S.C./Gilbert) picked up the win on the
hill for the Pacers. Cochcroft dealt the first five and two-thirds
of an inning, striking out three. He allowed just three earned
runs.
Daniel Rouah suffered the loss for Lynn. Rouah pitched six
innings of six-strikeout baseball, but he allowed nine runs (six
earned).
Thomas McLeod (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) earned his first save of the
year for the Pacers in relief of Cochcroft.
Asbill led the Pacers at the dish on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with
one run scored and one RBI. He was one of four Pacers with multiple
hits on the day as Vitko, Rice and Travis Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC
Salkehatchie) ended their day with two hits. Vitko and Rice both
had three RBIs.
Carmon scored three runs in the contest.
USC Aiken will next return home to the friendly confines of
Roberto Hernandez Stadium for a non-conference contest against
regional foe Anderson at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
