AIKEN, S.C. – The nationally 28^th-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team suffered its first loss of the year in a 14-6 loss to North Georgia on Sunday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

The loss leaves USC Aiken with a 2-1 record in the inaugural Carolina Outdoors Classic. The Pacers opened the event by besting Davis & Elkins on Friday, Feb. 10 and Carson-Newman on Saturday, Feb. 11.

USC Aiken (5-1) scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning. The Pacers got things going in the frame on the first batter, as Ty Barkell's fly foul ball to right field was dropped by the North Georgia (4-2) right fielder.

The play allowed Barkell (Denver, Colo./Palmer Ridge) to advance to second. Tyler Bourdo (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell College) took advantage next by singling in Barkell for the first run of the contest. Stephen Bellantoni was then able to plate Bourdo a little while later to earn the Pacers the 2-0 advantage.

USC Aiken plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Bourdo scored again in the bottom of the stanza when he scored off a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC). One batter later, Branden Millhouse (Summerville, S.C./USC Upstate) singled up the middle to score Will Tankersley (Thomson, Ga./Thomson) to give the Pacers a 4-0 lead.

USC Aiken starting pitcher Kelly Holt (Stockbridge, Ga./Middle Georgia) entered the top of the sixth having held North Georgia hitless. After an error and pop up to start the inning the Saints were then able to plate nine in the top of the sixth to garner a 9-4 lead.

The Pacers would place two more runs on the scoreboard in the game, but it would not be enough in the eventual eight-run loss.

Four Pacers finished with multiple hits with Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) leading the way with a 3-for-5 performance. He scored one run.

Despite the no-hitter through five innings, Holt (1-1) suffered his first loss as a Pacer on Sunday. He struck out four in the game.

Jordan Erisman (1-0) pitched the first 6.2 innings to claim the win on the hill for North Georgia. He fanned three.

Terrell Jones led the Saints in their victory with three hits.

The two teams tied 11-11 in hits overall.

USC Aiken next begins Peach Belt Conference action with a doubleheader against Montevallo at the 'Bert on Saturday, Feb. 18. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. with the second game to follow shortly after the conclusion of game one. On Sunday, Feb. 19, USC Aiken and Montevallo will close out their league three-game set with a 1 p.m. contest.