Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – The nationally 10th-ranked University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team opened its Peach Belt Conference East Division three-game showdown with national No. 2 Lander with a 10-6 victory on Friday evening.
Lander (22-7, 10-3 PBC) opened the game by scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Jordan Owens claimed three of the four runs for Lander in the frame with a three-run home run to left field.
In the bottom of the third inning, Nick Aranas (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) was able to cut the Lander lead in half for USC Aiken (21-7, 11-5 PBC) with a two-run blast to right centerfield. It was Aranas' fourth home run of the season.
USC Aiken would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to even the game at 4-4.
The Pacers would take advantage of two costly Lander errors in the inning to plate the two runs. Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) claimed the first run of the fourth for USC Aiken when he singled in Ty Barkell (Denver, Colo./Palmer Ridge).
Carmon then found his way home next on a double to left field by Josh Miller (Chapin, S.C./Chapin). The double allowed Miller to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.
USC Aiken would take its first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Carmon once again came through for the Pacers by singling to center field to score Barkell and give the Pacers a 5-4 lead.
After a Lander pitching change, Pacer pinch runner Stephen Bellantoni (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Sumter CC) stole home to collect a 6-4 advantage for USC Aiken.
The Pacers would add three more in the bottom of the seventh. Aranas got things going in the inning for USC Aiken by doubling down the right field line.
The double allowed Aranas to become USC Aiken's all-time leader in doubles. Already the all-time leader in school history in triples, Aranas now has 60 doubles in his career.
Will Tankersley (Thomson, Ga./Thomson) then doubled in Aranas for USC Aiken's seventh run of the game. USC Aiken would add two more in the frame to push its lead to 9-4.
USC Aiken would add one more, while Lander would add two, but in the end USC Aiken was too much down the stretch for Lander in its four-run win.
The Pacers out-hit Lander, 11-8, in the game.
Four Pacers finished with two hits with Carmon, Aranas, Barkell and Tyler Bourdo (Evans, Ga./Truett-McConnell College) all claiming two in the contest.
Weston Lawing led Lander with three hits.
Kelly Holt (Stockbridge, Ga./Middle Georgia) struck out eight in six innings on the hill for USC Aiken to claim the win. He is now 3-3 on the year.
Lander starter Chris Thomas suffered the loss in 5.1 innings on the mound. He is now 4-1 on the year.
USC Aiken and Lander will close their three-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow (Saturday, Mar. 24). The first game of the doubleheader is now scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.
