Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – The 27th-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team completed a three-game sweep of Shippensburg with an 8-5 victory over the Raiders on Sunday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
USC Aiken (8-2) spotted Shippensburg (0-9) two runs in the top half of the first inning, but back-to-back four-run innings in the first and second frames earned the Pacers all of their runs.
In the bottom of the first inning, leadoff hitter Stephen Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC) got things going for the Pacers by rapping a single to left field. Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) then singled to place two Pacers on base. The duo then stole to place two runners in scoring position for USC Aiken.
Josh Miller (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) promptly singled in Bellantoni. Pacer cleanup hitter Spencer Wolfe (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) then cleared the bases by bringing in Carmon and Miller for a 3-2 Pacer lead on a double to left field. Wolfe later scored in the inning to give the Pacers a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the second the Pacers added four more runs to take an 8-2 lead. After Carmon singled to get on base, Miller hit his second home run of the year to pull the Pacers on top, 6-2. Wolfe was walked one batter later, setting the table a couple batters later for Kyle Rice (Augusta, Ga./Cross Creek) to double to right center field and bring in Wolfe.
The final Pacer run on the day was plated shortly thereafter when Jowan Gray (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken) singled to center field to bring in Rice for the resounding six-run lead.
USC Aiken would be unable to score the rest of the way, but four Pacer pitchers held the Raiders to just three more runs down the stretch in the three-run Pacer victory.
Pacer freshman starting pitcher Derek Beasley (Harlem, Ga./Harlem) collected the first win of his career in the contest by pitching the first 5.1 innings. Beasley (1-1) struck out six.
USC Aiken's Joe Tart (Charlotte, N.C./Marion Military) earned his first save of the year by pitching a scoreless ninth.
Shippensburg's Nick Umberger dropped to 0-2 on the year with his loss in the game. The Pacers forced Umberger out of the contest just 1.2 innings into the contest. Umberger allowed all eight runs. He struck out just one.
Shippensburg reliever Tom Bush pitched well in relief of Umberger, striking out six Pacers in 6.1 innings on the hill. He allowed just two hits.
USC Aiken out-hit Shippensburg 10-9 in the contest.
Four different Pacers recorded multiple hits in the game with Bellantoni, Carmon, Miller and Rice all finishing with two hits. Carmon scored two runs, while Miller acquired three RBIs and scored two runs. Bellantoni scored a run and Rice had a run scored and an RBI.
Shippensburg had two players record multiple hits with Eric Herman leading the way with a 3-for-5 performance with two runs scored.
USC Aiken's sweep of Shippensburg leaves the Pacers currently riding a four-game winning streak. The Pacers have captured all three of their three-game sets in 2011 with series wins over Lincoln Memorial, Barry and Shippensburg. The Pacers also captured a win over Newberry at the 'Bert on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
The Pacers will next conclude their first month of the 2011 regular season with a three-game set against first-time opponents Salem International at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. Just like all the other three-game sets in February, USC Aiken's first ever meeting with Salem International will get underway at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25. The series will close with single 1 p.m. encounters on Saturday, Feb. 26 and Sunday, Feb. 27.
