AIKEN, S.C. – Mother Nature wreaked havoc on fly balls and pitchers alike all afternoon long as the 17th-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team fell to the Indians of South Atlantic Conference foe Catawba Wednesday afternoon 6-5 at Roberto Hernandez Stadium in a game that was moved up from its original start time to accommodate the possibility of inclement weather expected to move into the area.

The loss drops the Pacers to 13-6 on the season while Catawba improves to 16-5 for the 2011 season.

Josh Miller (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) got things started early with a one-run home run over the left field wall that was carried by a strong jet stream to take a 1-0 lead.

The Pacers would extend their lead in the next inning when Kyle Rice (Augusta, Ga./Cross Creek) gave USC Aiken the 2-0 advantage after he scored off a sacrifice fly to right field by Teddy Leverett (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell).

Catawba tied the game at two-all in the top of the fourth inning, but USC Aiken was able to push ahead by one once more in the bottom of the inning when Tyler Bourdo (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell) scored to give the Pacers the narrow 3-2 lead.

The hard gusts of wind played a strong part throughout the game, including in the seventh inning when a strong gust caught a ball off the bat of Josh Hohn and carried the ball well over the wall for a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to give Catawba its first lead of the afternoon at 4-3.

Another two Indians found their way across the plate to score in the top of the eighth inning to put Catawba up by three, but USC Aiken would keep things interesting as Rice and Matt Key (New Ellenton, S.C./Silver Bluff) pulled nationally-ranked USC Aiken back to within one at 6-5 when junior Zack Kilday (Lilburn, Ga./South Georgia) sent a blooper to the gap in right-center field.

Despite the late surge by the Pacers, the Indians would be able to cling to their one-run lead over the closing inning to sweep the two-game set over USC Aiken.

Rice led USC Aiken at the plate going 3-for-4 in the game with two runs scored while junior Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) and Kilday both went 2-for-4 with Kilday recording two RBIs on the afternoon.

Head coach Kenny Thomas made good use of his bullpen as five different Pacers saw action on the mound, but senior Steven Spire (Swansea, S.C./Swansea) suffered the eventual loss on the hill striking out three batters to move to 2-1 for 2011.

Catawba's chief Jim Gantt employed a similar technique for the Indians as five of Catawba's players saw action with Clay Watson improving to a perfect 2-0 after picking up the win. J.J. Jankowski recorded his first save of the year in one inning of relief pitching.

USC Aiken will find itself in unfamiliar territory this weekend as the nationally-ranked Pacers will take their show on the road for the first time this season with a Peach Belt Conference weekend series against the Lander Bearcats in Greenwood, S.C. USC Aiken and in-state rival Lander will renew their rivalry with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 12 with the first pitch of the first game slated to leave the mound at 1 p.m. with the second game to follow shortly after the conclusion of the first. The finale of the series will be contested on Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m.