AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team opened its 2012 home campaign with a doubleheader sweep of Queens on Sunday afternoon at J.H. Satcher Field.

USC Aiken (4-0) garnered a relatively easy 3-0 win in game one before picking up a thrilling 7-6 come-from-behind victory over Queens (2-8) in game two.

India Kornegay (Eufaula, Ala./Eufaula HS) pitched the Pacers to an easy 3-0 win in the first game. 

The preseason All-Conference pitcher was in the circle for all seven innings in game one, striking out 12. She allowed just two hits.

USC Aiken as a team ended the first game win out-hitting Queens, 6-2.

Kayla Denham (Palatka, Fla./Daytona State College) was the only Pacer with multiple hits in game one with a 2-for-3 performance. She had an RBI and scored a run in the game.

Things did not come as easily for the Pacers in the second game. Queens scored six of the first seven runs in the game to own a 6-1 lead entering the bottom of the fourth inning.

USC Aiken would mount a strong comeback in the bottom of the fourth frame to pull within one run at 6-5.

The Pacers would still be down by the one run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

USC Aiken was not willing to back down though with Brandy Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun HS) and Kaitlyn White (Columbia, S.C./College of Charleston) getting things going in the inning with singles. After a wild pitch by Queens reliever Amanda Rodriquez moved the duo to second and third, Whitney Clary (Newberry, S.C./Newberry HS) tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Bossle. White advanced to third on the play.

After Queens intentionally walked Denham, USC Aiken had runners at the corners with two outs.

Pacer pinch hitter Hillary Stewart (Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood HS) took advantage in the tense situation, hitting a single down the left field line to score White and claim the win for USC Aiken.

Kornegay (4-0) once again picked up the win in the circle in relief of starter Samantha Lemm (Berlin, N.J./Eastern HS). Kornegay fanned seven in her 3.2 innings in the circle.

USC Aiken concluded its thrilling second game victory out-hitting Queens, 14-7. Five Pacers recorded multiple hits with White, Cortney Sadler (Bradenton, Fla./State College of Fla., Manatee-Sarasota), Lindsey Jones (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta HS), Kelley King (Chesterfield, S.C./Chesterfield HS) and Bossle all claiming two hits.

The Pacers will next welcome Erskine to J.H. Satcher Field for a doubleheader on Wednesday, Feb. 22. First pitch of game one is scheduled to be thrown at 2:30 p.m.