NEWBERRY, S.C. – The nationally 10^th-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team had its five-game winning streak snapped in a 7-6 road non-conference loss to Newberry on Wednesday evening at the Smith Road Complex.

The Pacers began the game on Wednesday by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Newberry (11-18) would not let the Pacer lead last long with the Wolves plating five runs over the course of the first two innings to acquire a 5-2 advantage.

USC Aiken (20-7) would cut the lead to just one with one run each in the top of the fourth and fifth innings. Will Tankersley (Thomson, Ga./Thomson) claimed the run for the Pacers in the fourth by blasting a solo home run.

Josh Miller (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) singled in Stephen Bellantoni for USC Aiken's run in the fifth frame.

In the bottom of the sixth, Newberry would tack on another run to own a 6-4 lead entering the top of the seventh.

USC Aiken would even things up in the top of the seventh.

Pinch-hitting for Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC), JJ Loker commenced the top half of the seventh by being walked. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch.

Stephen Carmon took (Camden, S.C./Camden) advantage of Loker (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) being in scoring position next by singling through the right side to score Loker.

The current leader in the Peach Belt Conference in stolen bases, Carmon stole home a little while later to even the game at 6-all.

Newberry would then take advantage of a costly Pacer error in the bottom of the eighth to score what would be the game-winning run. Chas Goodwin, who led Newberry with three hits in the contest, claimed the game-winning RBI for the Wolves.

Newberry out-hit USC Aiken, 10-8, in the contest.

Miller was the only Pacer with multiple hits in the game. He was 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored. He was now captured seven hits in the last two Pacer games.

Miller is currently in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak.

Tyler Bourdo (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell College) had his 17-game hitting streak come to an end in the loss to Newberry. Bourdo was 0-for-3 on Wednesday.

Pacer reliever Taylor Grover (North Augusta, S.C./Midland Valley) suffered the loss on the hill. He was one of six Pacer pitchers used on the evening.

Matt Chapman collected the win for Newberry. The relief pitcher was one of six Newberry pitchers on the night. Tyler Sturkie picked up his fifth save of the year for the Wolves.

The Pacers will next close out the week with a home Peach Belt Conference East Division top-10 showdown with current first-place team and national No. 2 Lander. 

The three-game league set at Roberto Hernandez Stadium will begin with a 6 p.m. game on Friday, Mar. 23. One day later, the two teams will close their three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 24. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.