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.