MISENHEIMER, N.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team (17-9) had little trouble claiming both games of a non-conference doubleheader, 4-1 and 9-1, over Conference Carolinas foe Pfeiffer (13-15) Friday afternoon at Jack Ingram Field. The pair of wins keeps the Pacers perfect (4-0) in 2011 against Conference Carolina foes.

USC Aiken and Pfeiffer were tied 1-1 after the first inning in the first game before the Pacers mounted a steady charge through the closing innings, adding three runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to claim the 4-1 victory.

With USC Aiken up 3-1 in the fifth inning, the Falcons loaded the bases with just one out, but sophomore hurler Lauren Rickabaugh and the Pacers were able to ground the Falcons' attempts from the plate to record two more outs and save their lead.

Lauren Locklear tacked on the final insurance run when she nailed a double in the sixth inning to score Whitney Clary and extend the Pacers' lead to the final 4-1. Locklear (Charleston, S.C./Wando) went 3-for-4 at the plate including two doubles with an RBI and one run scored while Nicole Borden (Jacksonville, Fla./Bolles School) went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Rickabaugh (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) struck out six batters in five innings of work in the first game for USC Aiken to improve to 4-1 for the season. Kylee Knop (Oxford, Ga./Kirkwood) came in for the final two innings to record the save, her second of the year.

Shelby Brown fell to 2-5 for the season as she suffered the loss in the circle for Pfeiffer.

The Pacers continued to ride their momentum from the first game into the second game as USC Aiken went up 3-0 in the second inning when Kayla Denham (Palatka, Fla./Daytona State) tripled to score Whitney Clary (Newberry, S.C./Newberry) and Lindsey Jones (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) before Brittney Williamson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) knocked her in with a single.

Denham, a stout bat for the Pacers all season, continued to prove to be the catalyst for USC Aiken in the fourth inning as she knocked her third home run of the season, scoring Brandy Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun) in the process of  putting the Pacers up 5-0.

Pfeiffer was able to avoid the shutout in the fifth inning with a single run scored, but that proved to be little consolation as the sixth inning was another big scoring inning for the Pacers. Clary, Bossle, Williamson and Locklear all scored in the top of the sixth inning to put the Pacers up 9-1. USC Aiken would hold the Falcons to a three-up-three-down inning to secure the victory in just six innings.

Williamson led the way at the plate for USC Aiken in the second game as she went 4-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored. Denham and Lindsey Jones were both 2-for-3 as Denham recorded a stout five RBIs and two runs scored in the contest.

Between the two games, USC Aiken out-hit Pfeiffer 23-7. 12 of the Pacers' 13 runs in the two contests came with two outs registered on the board.

India Kornegay (Eufaula, Ala./Eufauala) fanned nine batters in the second game to claim her seventh win of the season (7-3).

Allison Braswell fell to one game under .500 (5-6) as she suffered the loss in the second game for the Falcons.

USC Aiken returns home this weekend for a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader on Sunday, March 20 against the Saints of nationally fourth-ranked North Georgia. The Pacers and Saints will face off on the diamond with the first pitch in game one slated to leave the circle at 2 p.m.