WINGATE, N.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team stumbled Friday afternoon on the road as they dropped their first doubleheader of the season to Wingate University, 4-3 in eight innings and 2-1, Friday afternoon at the Wingate University Softball Complex.

The Pacers, who were 5-1 against South Atlantic opposition heading into the doubleheader with the Bulldogs, are now 9-3 in the 2011 campaign after the pair of losses while Wingate improves to 7-3 for the season.

For the fourth time this season, USC Aiken was a part of a game that went beyond the scheduled seven innings, but unlike two of the earlier three games the Pacers came out on the losing end of the situation.

A passed ball with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the deciding factor that gave Wingate the ability to edge ahead of USC Aiken 4-3 in the first game. Despite the final outcome, the Pacers led for the majority of the game and out-hit the Bulldogs 9-4.

The Pacers raced out to an early 3-0 lead in the first two innings, putting up two runs early in the first and adding another in the second to control the early going.

However, Wingate was able to get two runs back in the bottom of the third inning to keep the game within reach before Emily Chavis tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

With a sacrifice hit in the fist game, Whitney Clary (Newberry, S.C./Newberry HS) moved into a tie for fourth place all-time in school history with 20 sacrifice hits so far in her career. She is just two away from the school record of 22 currently held by Rebecca White.

A game removed from setting the school record for most strikeouts in a single game, Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Week India Kornegay (Eufaula, Ala./Eufaula) suffered her first loss of the season to move to 4-1 after striking out eight batters in eight innings.

Allison Smith claimed the win in the circle for Wingate to improve to 3-2 for the 2011 season.

The second game had a similar outcome as the first, but with the Pacers playing catch-up this time to the Bulldogs after Wingate eased out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning of the second game.

Lauren Locklear (Charleston, S.C./Wando) kept USC Aiken in contention for the win as she tied the game in the top of the sixth inning at 1-1, scoring off a double by Kelley King (Chesterfield, S.C./Chesterfield).

The Bulldogs were able to accrue what would be the go-ahead run to pull out the win in the bottom of the inning when Chavis scored with the bases loaded off a single by Brittany Loudermilt.

Wingate would hold the Pacers to three up, three down in the top of the seventh inning to secure the win for Brittany Blankenship who improved to 2-0 for the season.

Kylee Knop (Oxford, Ga./Kirkwood CC) suffered the loss in the circle after coming in for two innings of relief for starter Lauren Rickabaugh (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) to move to 2-2 for the season.

USC Aiken will remain on the road in North Carolina to close the curtains on the month of February with a PBC doubleheader against the Braves of UNC Pembroke on Sunday, Feb. 27. The first game of the twin bill will commence at 1 p.m. with the second game to follow shortly after the conclusion of the first.