AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team suffered its first Peach Belt Conference loss of the 2012 season in a 9-7 loss to Montevallo on Saturday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

Down 9-4 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, USC Aiken (7-2, 2-1 PBC) looked as if would be able to tie or take the lead.

Nick Aranas (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) pulled the Pacers to within two runs by blasting a double to right centerfield to score three Pacers with only one out on the scoreboard.

Tyler Bourdo (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell College) just missed on tying the game next as his shot to right field stayed just inside the wall for the second out of the inning. Ty Barkell (Denver, Colo./Palmer Ridge) then struck out to end the game.

JJ Loker (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) led three Pacers with multiple hits on Saturday. Loker was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Bourdo and Branden Millhouse (Summerville, S.C./USC Upstate) both ended Saturday's narrow loss with two hits.

Vincente Andrews guided the Falcon cause offensively with three hits.

Montevallo (3-8, 1-2 PBC) as a team narrowly out-hit the Pacers, 11-10.

The Falcons' Kameron Heiser (1-2) collected the win on the hill in the contest. He pitched 5.2 innings, striking out three while allowing three runs.

Wes Rich acquired the save for the Montevallo in the game by getting the final two outs of the game.

USC Aiken's Kelly Holt was hit with the loss on the mound for the Pacers. Holt (1-2) lasted 3.2 innings, striking out five. He allowed five runs.

USC Aiken will next continue Peach Belt Conference play with a three-game home league set with Georgia College. The league three-game series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25. The first game of the twinbill is slated to commence at 2 p.m.

The three-game PBC series will close with a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday, Feb. 26.