COLUMBUS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken used a dominant pitching performance in the first game and a late offensive surge in the nightcap en route to two wins by scores of 4-3 and 8-4 Sunday afternoon at Columbus State.

The Pacers improve to 23-10 overall and 6-4 against PBC foes.

In the opener, head coach Jerry Snyder's team jumped on top with a three-run first inning and never looked back.

Kaitlyn White led things off with a shot down the left field line. She easily moved to second and scooted to third when Samantha Chubb singled, loading the bases. White, Sarah Montei and Chubb all moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch that made it 1-0. Madison Labrador singled home Montei and Alyssa Cook's base hit pushed the margin to 3-0 as Chubb trotted home.

USC Aiken increased its lead to 4-0 with a run in the second. White drew a base on balls and scampered to third on Montei's sacrifice bunt. White easily scored as Chubb roped a single to center field for the 4-0 edge.

India Kornegay made the runs stand as she cruised through the first five innings, striking out batters with ease. She had a no-hitter going until the sixth inning as the home team managed to pull within one on two homers.

However, Kornegay settled down and struck out the final two batters of the frame. In the seventh, the Cougars had a runner on second base but Kornegay once again struck out the final two batters of the stanza, securing the win.

In the victory, Kornegay struck out 13 batters while throwing the complete game. At the plate, Chubb knocked out a pair of hits while White, Hillary Stewart, Labrador, Magan Thrower and Cook all had a base knock.

Game two featured an abundance of runs and the Pacers got things going in the first when Chubb's roller to short allowed White to score. White had led off the game with a single, swiped second and headed to third on a wild pitch.

Trailing 2-1 in the top of the second, Madison Labrador launched a solo shot on the first pitch she saw, evening the contest.

Taylor Morgan settled down and breezed through the next few innings. Then, in the seventh, White singled to second and moved to second on Montei's sacrifice bunt. With two down, Andrea Daring stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter. After fouling off five balls in a row with the count full, she belted an opposite field homer for a 4-2 advantage.

However, the Cougars answered with a two-run homer of their own in the bottom of the inning.

Snyder's team, however, would not quit.

After Ashley Metts drew a lead-off walk, Brielle Jungblut singled, sending Victoria Burkett to second as she had come on as a pinch runner. Brittney Williamson's well-played sacrifice bunt moved both over and White drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run as she reached on a fielder's choice.

Montei followed her up with a single, scoring Jungblut. Then, Chubb rocketed a shot into right field, plating White and Montei for an 8-4 score.

Kornegay, who had been warming up, entered the game and shut down the Cougars, securing the victory for USC Aiken.

For the game, White, Chubb, Labrador, Cook and Jungblut had two hits apiece. Daring drove in two while White scored three times.  

Morgan struck out 10 while picking up the victory. Kornegay struck out one in her appearance.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m., when they play at Georgia Southwestern in a doubleheader.