Box Score AIKEN, S.C. - The nationally-ranked USC Aiken Pacer baseball team dropped the first game of a weekend series to Georgia Southwestern 8-2 in a game that was close until the very end. 

The loss drops the Pacers to 3-6 on the season while the Hurricanes improve to 3-1.

The Hurricanes put themselves on the board first in the top of the second inning when catcher Paschel Poston scored on a Kevin Carroll ground out to second base.

The Hurricanes would then stretch their lead to 2-0 in the top of the third inning when Bud Long crossed the plate on a Zack Stanton sacrifice fly to centerfield.

The Pacers found the equalizers in the bottom of the third inning. Matt Key (Silver Bluff, S.C./Silver Bluff) reached base and then advanced to third base on two failed pickoff attempts.

After senior catcher Gary Asbill (Batesburg, S.C./Batesburg-Leesville) reached base by being walked, sophomore Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) laid down a bunt to reach base and advance Asbill to second, loading the bases. Bill Rice (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester County) then stepped up and sent a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Key.

Senior slugger Travis Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC Salkehatchie) loaded the bases by reaching first on an error by the Hurricanes' third baseman allowing Carmon and Asbill to advance to second and third respectively. Designated hitter Nick Aranas (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) was then walked to score Asbill, tying the game at two all.

It wouldn't be until the top of the sixth inning before either team could find the go-ahead run. Georgia Southwestern edged ahead of the Pacers off a Carroll sacrifice fly that scored Heath Lock, setting the score at 3-2.

The Pacers were unable to weather the Hurricanes' bats down the final stretch. Georgia Southwestern put up five runs and five hits in the top of the ninth inning to put the game out of reach for USC Aiken. In total, the Hurricanes collected 13 hits and five errors on the game while the Pacers combined for seven hits and just one error.

Long and Byron Haynes led the Hurricanes on offense from the dish going 3-for-5 at the dish with Long adding two runs. Carroll was 1-for-2 from the plate with one run and two RBIs.

Aranas and Carmon, both of whom went 2-for-4 at the plate, led the Pacers in their effort on offense.  Aranas also had one RBI on the afternoon.

Jody Sellars earned the win for the Hurricanes pitching in seven innings of work. He improves to 2-0 for the 2010 season.

Right-handed senior hurler Clayton Knight (Goosecreek, S.C./Limestone) suffered the loss on the mound for the Pacers in six innings of work, dropping to 0-2 in the 2010 campaign.

The Pacers and Hurricanes will continue their weekend three-game series with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 20. The teams will then close out the weekend with a 1 p.m. match-up on Sunday, Feb. 21.