AIKEN, S.C. – Swift feet and a solid small-ball performance in the waning innings along with solid pitching through the entire game helped lift the No. 30 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team to a 6-1 victory over the No. 29 Buccaneers of Barry University at Roberto Hernandez Stadium Friday evening.

The win in the top-30 showdown lifts the Pacers to 3-1 while the loss moves the Buccaneers to an even 3-3 in the early going of the 2011 season.

USC Aiken baseball fans are accustomed to the Pacer donning Stephen Bellantoni's No. 22 jersey producing in clutch situations, and Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC) did not disappoint Friday afternoon. Leading off for the Pacers in the bottom of the first inning, Bellantoni safely reached base and made his way to third putting himself in prime scoring position before Josh Miller (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) sent a sacrifice fly out to left field allowing Bellantoni to slide across home plate to put the Pacers up first, 1-0.

The Bucs' Chris Leon would respond in the top of the third inning with a one-run home run over the right field wall to knot the score at one.

Four innings would pass by in what can only be described as a classic pitcher's dual before a late Pacer charge would give USC Aiken the needed runs to claim the first game in the 2011 series.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the duo of Dylan Durham (Trenton, S.C./Strom Thurmond) and Bellantoni gave the Pacers what would prove to be the winning run. Pinch-running for Adam Spires and making his way to third base, Durham raced across the dish as Bellantoni safely reached first base after sending a slow chopper to the Barry shortstop.

With the victory in their grasp, the Pacers refused to back down along the stretch, scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to finish the Buccaneers off. Miller and J.J. Loker (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) each ripped back-to-back doubles to opposite ends of the field to lead off the USC Aiken half of the inning with Loker's double up the right foul line moving Miller across the plate to put the Pacers up 3-1.

In a show of their small-ball strength, Tim Taylor (Columbia, S.C./USC Sumter) and Tyler Bourdo (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell) laid down back-to-back bunts to load the bases with Loker on third. Loker would score on a wild pitch to Spencer Wolfe (Huntington, Md./Huntingtonton) before Wolfe sent a sacrifice fly to right field to score Taylor giving the Pacers a 5-1 lead with just one out on the board.

Bourdo was able to put the cap on USC Aiken's late scoring drive as he cruised across the dish after the Barry hurler balked, setting the score at the final 6-1 as USC Aiken closer Jeremy Smith and the Pacer defense kept the Barry bats at bay in the closing moments of the game.

In an impressive showing from the mound, Thomas McLeod (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) retired eight batters and gave up just one run in seven innings of work to claim his first win of the 2011 season and move him to 1-1. Smith (Minter, Ala./Southern Union) recorded the Pacers' first save of the season in two solid innings to seal the victory.

Manny Rodriguez (1-1) took the loss on the hill for the Buccaneers after fanning five batters and walking four.

The Pacers and Bucs will continue their three-game series tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 12) with the first pitch scheduled to leave the mound at 1 p.m. The final game in the 2011 series between the two programs will be contested at 12 p.m. on Sunday.