AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team registered an 8-2 victory in the season-opening game against Lincoln Memorial, giving head coach Kenny Thomas his 1,100th career victory.
Zach Moon registered a pair of round-trippers to lead the way in the win. He went two-for-two with four RBI and a walk for good measure.
Skylar Mercado had a three-for-three afternoon. He notched a pair of doubles in the victory. Fellow newcomer Brian Perreira tallied a three-for-four day with one RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Tyler Ammerman notched one RBI and scored once while Jonathan Banks also drove in one and crossed home one time. Chaz Pal trotted across home plate once.
After going down in order in the first inning, Thomas' team opened the score the very next inning. Parreira singled to right center and scooted to second on Banks' single. A sacrifice allowed the runners to move up 90 feet, which enabled Parreira to score on a wild pitch.
The visitors knotted the score in the fourth, but the Pacers quickly answered. With one away in the bottom of the frame, Banks walked and Moon quickly launched a two-run blast a few feet over the left field fence for a 3-1 edge.
Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth frames, but Thomas' team made sure to plate a couple of runs in the sixth. Parreira led off the inning with a double to right field. With one out, Moon drove a ball over the right field fence for a 5-1 margin.
LMU plated a run in the seventh, but in the bottom half of the inning USC Aiken answered with three runs. Ammerman singled home Mercado, who had doubled to open the inning. After Pal was hit by a pitch, Parreira doubled home Ammerman. Banks followed up his performance with a grounder that allowed Pal to race home for what turned out to be the final margin.
Brooks Calvo got the start for USC Aiken and he pitched well. Calvo went four innings, giving up just four hits and one unearned run. He struck out one in the contest.
Erik Davis came in during the fifth inning and tossed three innings of work. He struck out six of the 12 batters he faced. Davis gave up three hits and one unearned run.
Joe Marlow and Nick Jobst each worked one inning in the victory. Both struck out a pair of batters.
Thomas has 1,100 career wins, including 580 at the helm of USC Aiken's team.
The Pacers return to action against the Railsplitters tomorrow at 2 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available at PacerSports.com.
