Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 AIKEN, S.C. - The nationally-ranked USC Aiken softball team picked up a key pair of wins over region foe Erskine at J.H. Satcher Field Wednesday afternoon. The Pacers defeated the Flying Fleet 3-1 in the first game and followed that effort up by downing the Fleet 6-3 in the second contest.
The Pacers improve to 4-0 for the 2010 campaign, while the Flying Fleet drop to 2-4 in the early part of the 2010 season.
The first game saw the Pacers overcome their first deficit of the season as the Fleet scored first in the top of the fourth when Courtney Davis solidly connected on a pitch by senior Pacer pitcher
Toni Flessate (Goose Creek, S.C./Stratford) to send the ball out of the park.
The home run was one of only four hits scattered throughout the game by the senior hurler as the rest of the game would be all Pacers.
In the bottom of the fifth,
Kelley King (Chesterfield, S.C./Chesterfield) crossed the dish for the Pacers after reaching base on an error by the Erskine infield.
The Pacers were able to secure the go-ahead winning runs in the bottom of the sixth when reigning PBC Freshman of the Week
Lindsey Jones (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) and sophomore
Whitney Clary (Newberry, S.C./Newberry HS) both crossed the plate to score.
Toni Flessate was awarded the sacrifice fly and RBI to bring in Clary to put the game out of reach from the Fleet.
Kelsey Spurrier was credited with the loss for the Flying Fleet, dropping her record to 2-1 on the season. She gave up just three hits and struck out three batters.
Flessate earned her second win of the 2010 campaign in the circle for the Pacers, giving up just four hits and fanning three batters. The win is Flessate's 41st and moves Flessate into fifth all-time for appearances (76) and within one game of tying Julie Green and Deyon Kendall for the second most wins in a career for a Pacer pitcher. Her 53 complete games also put her within one complete game of surpassing Amy Fox for third in most complete games.
In the second game it was Erskine to score first once again, this time with three of their first four batters in the top of the first crossing the plate before the Pacers could regroup behind sophomore pitcher
Lauren Rickabaugh (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta).
It would take a total team effort over the final five innings to catch and pass the Flying Fleet. Once again King started the scoring drive for the Pacers by crossing the dish twice, once in the bottom of the second and then again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior
Blair Warren (Darlington, S.C./Darlington Tech) earned two RBIs on both of King's runs.
The fourth inning proved to be the go-ahead inning for the Pacers as eight Pacers went to the plate. Brady Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun), pinch running for Warren, and
Nicole Borden (Jacksonville, Fla./Bolles School) were able to put themselves into scoring position on stolen bases and then cross the plate to put the Pacers up by one. Borden was credited with an RBI when she batted in Bossle and Jones was credited with the RBI for batting in Borden.
Freshmen
Haley Justice (North Augusta, S.C./Midland Valley) and Jones were able to secure the final two runs for the Pacers in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.
Jennifer Day (Pelion, S.C./Pelion) earned the RBI batting in Justice in the bottom of the fifth.
Borden went 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI and a stolen base while freshman Jones continued her strong start in a Pacer uniform going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases of her own and an RBI. Four Pacers secured at least one RBI in the contest.
???????Krissy Kendrick earned the loss for Erskine in the circle, giving up six hits and striking out just two batters. She drops to 0-2 on the season.
???????Rickabaugh scored the win for the Pacers giving up five hits and striking out three batters.
The Pacers will now hit the road to close out their week. They will first travel to Newberry, S.C. to take on Newberry in a twinbill Thursday, Feb. 18. The first pitch of the first game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
???????The Pacers will then close out their week with a doubleheader at Catawba on Saturday, Feb. 20. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
