YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team swept a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader from Young Harris on Wednesday afternoon at E.D. Rivers Field.

USC Aiken (16-8-1, 4-2 PBC) picked up a 6-2 victory over Young Harris (18-10, 2-4 PBC) in game one before taking an 8-3 win in the second game.

USC Aiken will next close out its week by taking on nationally ninth-ranked 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: USC Aiken 6, Young Harris 2

USC Aiken opened game one by plating three runs in the first two innings.

Brittney Williamson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll HS) got things going for the Pacers in the top of the first by claiming an infield single. She then was put into scoring position by two wild pitches. Williamson gave USC Aiken an early 1-0 advantage when she scored on an error by the Young Harris first baseman.

In the top of the second, Alyssa Cook (St. Leonard, Md./Aiken Tech) opened the inning for USC Aiken by walking. Cortney Sadler (Bradenton, Fla./State College of Fla., Manatee-Sarasota) then sacrificed Cook over to second. After another wild pitch moved her to third, Cook stole home to give the Pacers a 2-0 lead.

Shortly after Cook stole home, Brandy Bossle (North East, Md./Rising Sun HS) was walked. Bossle then promptly stole second and third before scoring on a passed ball. 

After not scoring in the top of the third frame, USC Aiken would plate another two runs in the top of the fourth. Williamson drove in the two runs for the Pacers in the stanza by singling in Bossle and Sadler.

The Mountain Lions would plate one run in the bottom half of the fourth, but USC Aiken would garner the run back in the top of the fifth when Hillary Stewart (Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood HS) singled in Victoria Burkett (Gilbert, S.C./Gilbert HS).

USC Aiken closed out the first game out-hitting the Mountain Lions, 5-1.

Williamson had two hits in the game for the Pacers.

USC Aiken pitcher India Kornegay (Eufaula, Ala./Eufaula HS) struck out 14 in her one-hitter in the circle. Kornegay is now 8-4 on the year.

Young Harris pitcher Katie-Jo Gentry dropped to 4-6 on the year with her loss in the circle. She fanned three Pacers in the game.

Game Two: USC Aiken 8, Young Harris 3

The score 1-1 through three innings, USC Aiken took control of the second game in the top of the fourth inning by plating three runs. 

After back-to-back singles by Stewart and Cook, the Pacers scored the first two of their three runs in the stanza on a wild play that ensued after a Sadler single. Stewart and Cook both scored during the sequence that was made possible after an error by the Young Harris right fielder. 

The Pacers would hold on to their 4-1 advantage until the top of the sixth when they scored another run to take a 5-1 lead.

Young Harris would then score two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to pull within two at 5-3.

USC Aiken would not allow the Mountain Lions to get any closer as the Pacers plated three runs in the top of the seventh in their 8-3 victory.

USC Aiken exploded for 13 hits in the second game.

Four Pacers finished with multiple hits with Stewart, Cook, Sadler and Kaitlyn White (McAllen, Texas/College of Charleston) all claiming two hits. Stewart scored three runs in the game. 

USC Aiken's Taylor Morgan (Chapin, S.C./Chapin HS) improved to 8-4 in the circle in game two. Morgan pitched the first five innings and fanned three in the game.

Kornegay pitched the final two innings of game two for USC Aiken. She fanned four. 

Young Harris' Darby Stanford dropped to 10-3 on the year with her loss in the circle in game two.