Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GREENWOOD, S.C. - The No. 13 USC Aiken softball team began their 2010 Peach Belt Conference schedule by sweeping a pair of road games over in-state and league foes the Lander Bearcats at Doug Spears Field in Greenwood, S.C. The Pacers won both games 6-2 over the Bearcats.

The losses drop Lander to 7-9 overall and 0-2 in Peach Belt Conference play. The Pacers improve to 8-2 overall on the 2010 campaign and commence their conference schedule at 2-0.

The Pacers started out of the gate strong in the first game as five Pacers reached base on three hits in the first inning. Whitney Clary (Newberry, S.C./Newberry) and Lauren Locklear (Charleston, S.C./Wando) led the early charge as they both reached base on single hits.

Toni Flessate (Goose Creek, S.C./Stratford) then advanced both into scoring position when she hit to center field loading the bases for Kellie King (Chesterfield, S.C./Chesterfield). King reached first on a throwing error by the Lander third baseman while Clary and Locklear both scored.

In the top of the third the Pacers continued their assault on the Bearcats with three more runs. Locklear once again led the charge by reaching base, this time on an error by her counter part on Lander, the shortstop, and then advanced to second on a pop fly by Flessate.

King laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Locklear to third and then showed her impressive speed by stealing second base setting. With runners in scoring position, junior transfer Blair Warren (Darlington, S.C./Florence-Darlington Tech) stepped to the dish and was walked while Locklear scored and King advanced to third on a wild pitch putting the Pacers up 3-0.

Warren promptly stole second just before Nicole Borden (Jacksonville, Fla./Bolles School) reached base on a fielding error by the Lander first baseman, scoring King and advancing Warren to third. Warren was able to cross the dish on a passed ball giving the Pacers a 5-0 lead while Borden advanced to second just before the Bearcats were able to bail themselves out of the inning.

Lander was able to stall Flessate and the Pacer's hopes of earning another shutout in the bottom of the fourth when Lander's Casey Corbitt and Amanda Hamby both scored putting the narrowing the score to 5-2.

In the top of the sixth, the Pacers seemed to put the game away when Clary reached base on an error by the Lander third baseman and then stole second. Candice Hardee (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale) then knocked a double to center field bringing Clary home to put the Pacers up for good at 6-2.

Lander looked to have a chance in the bottom of the sixth to put some more runs up on the board with the bases loaded, but Natalie Smith popped a ball up to Clary at second base to end the inning, stranding three Bearcats on base.

King led the Pacers at the plate in the first game by going 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run in the contest. As a team, the Pacers out-hit the Bearcats 11-4 and only had one error to the Bearcats' four.
Shelbey Spencer took the loss for Lander after three innings of work. She drops to 2-5 on the season.

Senior hurler Flessate earned the win in the circle for USC Aiken in the first game in five innings of work.  She improves to 3-1 on the season.

The second game started out in similar fashion to the first game with the Pacers jumping out to another early lead in the early innings. Locklear continued her success for getting on base by reaching on an error and then advanced to second base to start things off for the Pacers in the first inning.

She then stole third base to put herself in position to capitalize on another error by the shortstop to score. Clary followed not too far behind to put the Pacers up quick 2-0.

Sophomore pitcher Lauren Rickabaugh (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) did her part from the circle early and often to keep the Bearcats at bay from there. In the bottom of the first, Lander went three-and-out thanks, in part, to two Rickabaugh strikeouts.

In the top of the second inning, the Pacers struck once again when Brandy Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun) made it across the plate off a Lindsey Jones (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) single to center field putting the Pacer lead to 3-0.

Neither team was able to find pay dirt over the next two innings. During the stretch from the bottom of the second inning to the bottom of the third inning, nine batters went to the plate, and all nine went down just as fast due to strong fielding by both teams.

Then in the top of the fifth inning the Pacers went back on a hard offensive stretch against the new Lander hurler Hamby with three runs on two hits and two errors by the Lander defense. Jones got things started for the Pacers with a single to left field.

Clary then followed by reaching base safely due to an error by the Bearcat second baseman advancing Jones to second. Locklear then reached on a throwing error by the third baseman moving Clary to the corner at third base and scoring Jones to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Flessate then stepped to the dish and grounded out to the shortstop, but not before Locklear advanced to second base and Clary scored earning Flessate the RBI.

???????Locklear found herself on third shortly after when Warren singled to left field. Nikki Sidaway (Wiley Ford, Va./Potomac State) then came in to pinch run for Warren, and promptly stole second base.
Kaylah Hall (Jacksonville, Fla./Edward H. White) ended the scoring drive for the Pacers when she sent a sacrifice fly to left field to score Locklear.

Lander did not go quietly into the night, however, when in the bottom of the seventh the Bearcats attempted to catch the Pacers with a pair of runs when Blair Hammonds and Rachelle Adkins scored on two hits and an error by the Pacers. But it was not enough, as the Pacers were able to squelch the Bearcat uprising and take the victory.

Jones and Hall led the Pacers on offense. Jones was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run to continue her impressive freshman campaign while Hall went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

As a team, the Pacers out hit the Bearcats once again 7-4 and only committed one error to Lander's six. Lander was led on offense by Hammonds with one hit and one run in one at bat.

Sophomore Hayler Leissner suffered the loss for the Bearcats. She drops to 4-3 on the season after four innings of work.

???????Rickabaugh earned the win in the circle for the Pacers stretching her record to 5-0 on the 2010 campaign. She fanned six batters pitching the complete game.

???????The Pacers will return home to the friendly confines of J.H. Satcher Field to host the Braves of UNC Pembroke tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 26 in an afternoon Peach Belt Conference twinbill. First pitch from the circle is slated to be thrown out at 3 p.m.