HICKORY, N.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team dropped both games of its doubleheader with Lenoir-Rhyne on Monday afternoon.

Lenoir-Rhyne (16-5) picked up a narrow 2-0 win in game one before claiming a hard fought 5-4 victory in eight innings in game two.

USC Aiken (14-8-1) will next stay on the road to face league newcomer Young Harris on Wednesday, March 13. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

USC Aiken will then close out its week by taking on North Georgia in Dahlonega, Ga. on Thursday, March 14. First pitch in game one of the doubleheader is slated for 2 p.m.

Game One: Lenoir-Rhyne 2, USC Aiken 0

Lenoir-Rhyne scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to claim a narrow two-run victory over the Pacers in game one.

Lenoir-Rhyne's Megan Laxton picked up the two runs for the Bears when she hit a two-run double in the inning.

USC Aiken closed out its narrow game one loss out-hitting Lenoir-Rhyne, 4-3.

USC Aiken's Victoria Burkett (Gilbert, S.C./Gilbert HS) was the only player on either team to secure multiple hits in game one.

India Kornegay (Eufaula, Ala./Eufaula HS) claimed the loss in the circle in game one. Kornegay struck out nine.

Lenoir-Rhyne's Brandi Hole fanned four Pacers in obtaining the win in the circle.

Game Two: Lenoir-Rhyne 5, USC Aiken 4 (Eight Innings)

The second game began with Lenoir-Rhyne plating three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

The three-run lead would not last long for the Bears with USC Aiken's Alyssa Cook (St. Leonard, Md./Aiken Tech) starting things in the top of the third inning with a single. She was then moved over to second after a Brandy Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun HS) walk.

After Kaitlyn White (McAllen, Texas/College of Charleston) sacrificed Cook and Bossle over to second and third, Brittney Williamson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll HS) was then walked to load the bases for the Pacers.

USC Aiken's Lindsey Jones (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta HS) took full advantage of the situation by doubling in three runs to tie the game at 3-all.

In the bottom of the third, Lenoir-Rhyne would take the lead back at 4-3. Once again, the lead would not last long with the Pacers tying the game at 4-4 with a run of their own in the top of the sixth inning.

Cook procured the run for the Pacers in the inning when she scored Shannon Traylor (Prosperity, S.C./Mid-Carolina HS).

Traylor had come into the game to pinch run for Hillary Stewart, who had singled down the left field line to get on base.

The score would remain the same until the bottom of the eighth inning when Lenoir-Rhyne scored the game-winning run on a bases loaded walk.

Kornegay suffered the loss in game two as well to fall to 7-4 on the year. Kornegay pitched the final 7.1 innings of the game. She fanned 11.

Hole pitched the final 2.2 innings for Lenoir-Rhyne to move to 9-3 on the season.

USC Aiken out-hit Lenoir-Rhyne, 9-4, in game two.

Cook was a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish for the Pacers in game two.