Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AIKEN, S.C. - A preseason top 10 consensus choice nationally prior to the season, the sixth-ranked USC Aiken baseball team opened its 2010 campaign with two losses to Lincoln Memorial on Saturday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
USC Aiken commenced Saturday's twinbill by falling 10-3 to the visiting Railsplitters. The Pacers led for most of the second game, but ultimately fell, 4-3.
The series was forced into a doubleheader on Saturday due to inclement weather in the CSRA on Friday. The Pacers and Railsplitters will conclude their three-game set at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7 at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
Game Two - Lincoln Memorial 4, USC Aiken 3
The second game opened with freshman JJ Loker (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) giving the Pacers an early 2-0 advantage in the bottom half of the first inning. In his first career start as a Pacer, Loker made good on the Pacer coaching staff's faith in him by belting a two-run home run to right field to give the Pacers an early 2-0 lead.
The 2-0 Pacer lead would stand until the top of the fourth inning when the Railsplitters were able to collect three runs to take back the lead at 3-2. All three runs in the inning were unearned.
The Pacers would not go down without a fight as in the bottom portion of the frame, USC Aiken acquired a run of its own to tie the game back up at 3-3. Loker scored the run with preseason All-American Travis Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC Salkehatchie) obtaining the RBI.
The Railsplitters were able to obtain the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning when preseason All-South Atlantic Conference catcher Nick Langley singled to right field to plate Eric Kitts.
The Pacers would have their chances down the stretch, but would be unable to procure the game-tying or winning run in their next three at-bats as a team.
The final three innings were indicative of a game in which the two teams combined to leave 25 players on base. The Pacers left 14 of the 25.
Both teams fashioned nine hits each in the game.
USC Aiken was led in the second game loss by Loker, who finished his first start by going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Nick Aranas (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) was the only other Pacer to secure multiple hits, going 2-for-4.
Two Railsplitters finished with multiple hits in Isaac Edmonds and Juan Alvarez. They both ended the contest with two hits each.
Lincoln Memorial's Garrett Copeland picked up the win in 2.2 innings of relief of Lincoln Memorial starting pitcher Austin Johnson. Copeland allowed the Pacers just two hits.
In his second appearance on the afternoon, Lincoln Memorial's Ray Burchell commandeered his first save of the year by pitching the final inning and a third. Burchell struck out two.
USC Aiken's Thomas McLeod (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) was saddled with the loss on the hill. McLeod pitched well in relief of Knight, but gave up the game-winner to Lincoln Memorial in the top of the seventh. Nevertheless, McLeod allowed Lincoln Memorial just three hits in five innings of work. He fanned five.
Knight left the game after five innings on the mound. He fanned four and allowed six hits.
Game One - Lincoln Memorial 10, USC Aiken 3
The script was flipped in the first game with Lincoln Memorial jumping out to the early advantage with three runs in the top of the first inning.
Their strong start forced Pacer starter Steven Spire (Swansea, S.C./Swansea) from the contest after only two innings of action. Spire dealt six walks in his two innings.
The Lincoln Memorial advantage was 7-0 by the top of the sixth inning. USC Aiken would score three runs of their own in their final four at-bats, but it would be too little, too late.
Aranas would provide the biggest spark in the game with his solo home run to right centerfield in the bottom half of the sixth.
Despite losing by seven, USC Aiken had just two hits less than the Railsplitters in the game with Lincoln Memorial recording 10 and the Pacers obtaining eight hits as a squad in the game.
The story of the contest in the end was the Pacers walking 10 batters in the contest.
Lincoln Memorial's Steven Starbird was the winning pitcher. Starbird pitched seven innings of five-strikeout baseball en route to his first win.
Spire suffered the loss for the Pacers.
Tyler Stephan (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) was one of the Pacers bright spots in the loss. He dealt five innings in relief of Spire, striking out seven.
Aranas was one of three Pacers to finish with multiple hits with Josh Attaway (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) and Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) each finishing with two hits.
Edmonds and J.R. Roden led the Railsplitters with two hits each.