Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEWBERRY, S.C. - The No. 13 USC Aiken Pacer softball team split their doubleheader with Newberry College Wednesday afternoon. Newberry claimed the first game of their season opener 2-1 while USC Aiken was able to dominate the second game 8-1.

Newberry starts their season off 1-1 with the split, while USC Aiken improves to 5-1 for the 2010 campaign. The 5-1 mark is the best start for the Pacers since the 2007 season when the Pacers started the season 5-1 as well.

In the first game the Pacers jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second inning when senior hurler Toni Flessate (Goosecreek, S.C./Stratford) stepped to the plate and issued a homerun over the right-center fence.

Newberry answered in the bottom of the fourth inning when Felicia Taylor doubled down the right foul line and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Angela Cataldo would then lay down a bunt to reach base, scoring Taylor.

In the bottom of the fifth, Newberry was able to achieve the game-winning run after Aissa Gatewood doubled down the left foul line to put herself in scoring position and Courtney Flach layed down a sacrifice bunt to move her to third. Sara Powell then singled to bring Gatewood across the dish.

USC Aiken fought hard in the closing innings to find the equalizer behind freshman Lindsey Jones (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) but came up short. Jones went 2-for-3 from the plate while junior transfer Blair Warren (Darlington, S.C./Darlington) led the Pacers defensively with eight putouts.

Senior right-hander Amanda Huckestein secured the win for Newberry in the circle. She improves to 1-0 on the season after striking out seven batters and giving up four hits.

Flessate suffered the loss for the Pacers and falls to 2-1 on the season.  She fanned seven batters in six innings of work.

The Pacers would not be denied in the second game despite allowing Newberry to jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Gatewood crossed the dish off Huckestein's single up the middle. The Pacers would then go on the offensive with six Pacers obtaining at least one hit, three securing multiple hits.

The Pacers' attack began in the top of the second inning when Warren reached base singling to shortstop.  Sophomore Kaylah Hall (Jacksonville, Fla./Edward H. White) then drove her home on a double to left-center field earning the RBI and tying the game at one all.

In the top of the third inning the Pacers heated up, scoring five runs on five hits and two fielding errors.  Freshman Brandy Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun) was the first Pacer to cross the dish after being walked. Jones then reached first on a throwing error by the Newberry catcher to advance Bossle into scoring position.

Sophomore Whitney Clary (Newberry, S.C./Newberry HS) then showed off her prowess at the plate in her hometown by hitting a triple to left-center field scoring both Bossle and Jones to put the Pacers up 3-1. Lauren Locklear (Charleston, S.C./Wando) then singled to third base keeping Clary in check.

???????Flessate singled up the left foul-line to score Clary and move Locklear to second. Freshman Haley Justice (North Augusta, S.C./Midland Valley) reached first on a fielding error by the Newberry shortstop moving Flessate to second and helping Locklear to cross the dish to put the Pacers up 5-1.

After a pitching change Justice advanced to second and Flessate moved to third on a sacrifice out to the second baseman laid down by Warren. Hall followed up with a single to left fiend to score Flessate putting the Pacers up 6-1 heading into the fourth inning.

After a three-and-out for Newberry, Locklear doubled to left-center field to set up another scoring drive for Flessate. Flessate sent the ball out over the leftfield line for her second home run of the day, giving the Pacers their final score of 8-1.

???????Flessate led the Pacers at the plate going 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs, and one home run. Locklear and Hall both added multiple hit games in the effort with two hits each.

Kristen Hicks suffered the loss for Newberry dropping her to 0-1 on the season after giving up five hits and six runs in two innings.

Sophomore Lauren Rickabaugh (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) earned her third win on the season, improving to 3-0 in the circle for the Pacers.  She fanned five batters and gave up just one run.

???????The Pacers will continue their stint on the road by traveling to Salisbury, N.C. to take on the Indians of Catawba in a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 20. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.