AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team picked up a dominating 15-3 victory over Lincoln Memorial in its season opener on Friday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

USC Aiken (1-0) finished the resounding win over Lincoln Memorial (0-1) pounding out 19 hits as a team. Lincoln Memorial finished its loss with nine hits.

Six Pacers recorded multiple hits in the 12-run victory with Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) and Stephen Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC) leading the way with three hits each.

A preseason All-American, Carmon was 3-for-4 in total with three RBIs and three runs scored. Bellantoni was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Both Carmon and Bellantoni had two stolen bases in the game.

The Pacers had four players finish with two hits in the game with Bill Gerstenslager (Solon, Ohio/Mercyhurst), Tyler Bourdo (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell), Ty Barkell (Denver, Colo./Palmer Ridge) and Branden Millhouse (Summerville, S.C./USC Upstate) collecting two hits. Both of Barkell's hits were doubles.

Millhouse was a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He claimed one of two triples for the Pacers on the day as Carmon also rapped out a triple.

Pacer starting pitcher Derek Beasley (Harlem, Ga./Harlem) was masterful in his season debut on the hill. Beasley struck out eight batters in five innings of work.

Lincoln Memorial starter Austin Johnson allowed seven runs (five earned) in his loss. He fanned just two Pacers in his 4.1 innings on the mound.

The Pacers did not allow Johnson to really get things going in the game though with USC Aiken scoring three runs in the bottom half of the first inning.

Lincoln Memorial looked to have itself back in the game with two runs in the top of the fourth, but the resilient Pacers put a five-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth and never looked back in the 12-run win.

The three-game series between the Pacers and Railsplitters will end with single 1 p.m. games on Saturday, Feb. 4 and Sunday, Feb. 5.