Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 COLUMBUS, Ga. – In a battle of top-20 nationally-ranked Peach Belt Conference programs, 17th-ranked USC Aiken and 10th-ranked Columbus State split a league doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Ragsdale Field.
Columbus State earned a narrow 9-8 win in game one before the Pacers garnered a 3-2 win in game two.
USC Aiken and Columbus State will contest the rubber game of their top-20 showdown at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Mar. 11.
Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) got things going for the Pacers in game one by leading off with a single to right field. Josh Miller(Chapin, S.C./Chapin) would then single down the left field line to send Carmon to third and give the Pacers runners at the corners.
Carmon was brought home by Nick Aranas(Lexington, S.C./Lexington) next to give the Pacers an early 1-0 advantage.
USC Aiken would plate another run in the top of the second when Will Tankersley (Thomson, Ga./Thomson) doubled in Ty Barkell (Denver, Colo./Palmer Ridge), who had singled through the left side earlier in the inning.
The Pacers would add two more in the top of the third when Bill Gerstenslager (Solon, Ohio/Mercyhurst) doubled in Tyler Bourdo(Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell College) and Miller.
USC Aiken was able to go ahead 5-0 in the game in the top of the fourth when Carmon singled through the left side to bring in Tankersley from third. Tankersley had opened the inning by doubling down the left field line.
The complexion of the contest changed in the bottom of the sixth with Columbus State posting nine runs to take a 9-5 lead.
Cyle Rasmus punctuated the Columbus State inning by hitting a grand slam to left centerfield to score the final four runs of the inning for the Cougars.
USC Aiken would get one run back in the top of the seventh when Gerstenslager hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Aranas. The run set the score at 9-6 in favor of Columbus State.
The Pacers would make it interesting in the top of the ninth with two more runs, but the Cougars would be able to hold off the Pacer charge in the one-run win.
USC Aiken out-hit Columbus State, 16-7, in game one. Seven Pacers finished with two hits in game one.
In the second game, USC Aiken would once again get things started early with Aranas plating Carmon in the top of the first to give USC Aiken a 1-0 lead.
The Pacers would extend their lead to 2-0 in the top of the eighth when Miller singled in Stephen Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC).
Columbus State would score its first run of the game in the bottom of the eighth to set the score at 2-1.
In the top of the ninth, USC Aiken would add what would end up being the winning run when Bourdo scored on a wild pitch.
The Cougars would be able to get one run in the bottom of the last inning, but USC Aiken would be able to hold on for the one-run win.
Wyatt Brown (Suwanee, Ga./Middle Georgia) pitched a complete game for USC Aiken in the second game, fanning six in his nine innings on the mound. Brown is now 5-0 on the year.
Miller was the only Pacer with multiple hits in game two with two.
Kevan Dorsey led Columbus State in game two with three hits.
