YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – The No. 15 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team split a pair of games at Young Harris Friday, winning 12-8 before falling 13-3.

The Pacers are now 17-6 overall, including a 7-4 mark against league competition.

In the opener, head coach Kenny Thomas' team got on the board with three runs in the first. Kody Belcher led off with an infield single and moved to second on Tyler Moore's base knock. T.J. Costen singled, scoring Belcher. Barkell kept things going with a single of his own, allowing Moore to score while pushing the margin to 2-0. With one down, Matt Bosse laced a double down the line for the 3-0 lead.

Although Young Harris took a 4-3 lead, the Pacers plated six runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to take control of the game.

With two runners on and one down, Costen blasted a high shot over the left field fence for a 6-4 advantage. Three batters later, Ryan Metzler got ahold of a pitch, doubling to the gap. The hit allowed two Pacers to trot home for an 8-4 score. Grayson Smith then singled, scoring Metzler for a 9-4 margin.

In the sixth, Costen went back to work, singling to left for an 11-4 lead. He then swiped second and third before coming home on a throwing error.

Derek Beasley worked six innings, striking out three, to pick up the victory. Taylor Peed managed to pick up the last two outs for the save.

USC Aiken was unable to duplicate its winning ways in the second game.

The Pacers fell behind 3-0 before striking for a run in the fourth when Matt Bosse launched a shot over the center field wall, making it a two-run ballgame.

However, Young Harris plated six runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.

Thomas' team, however, would not give up. The squad put forth a solid effort, putting runs on the board in the eighth and ninth innings, but it was not enough.

Danny Wissmann took the loss for the Pacers as he struck out six in four innings of work. Ben Black hurled the final four frames without giving up an earned run while striking out three.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m., for the final game of the series.