FLORENCE, S.C. – The No. 19 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team posted a 3-1 victory at Francis Marion Saturday afternoon in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers improve to 17-5 overall, including 10-4 against league foes. The Patriots fall to 15-7 on the year and 3-5 against conference competition.

Leading the way offensive for head coach Kenny Thomas was Charles Padilla, who tallied a game-best three hits. Mitchell Price drove in a pair of runs while Max Schoen tallied two base knocks.

Jonathan Banks had one RBI. Zach Moon scored twice and Schoen crossed home once.

USC Aiken opened the scoring in the top of the second. Moon reached on a throwing error by the third baseman and quickly went to second on the miscue. Schoen beat out a single to second base as Moon hustled to third. Price's fly ball to right field was deep enough, allowing Moon to scamper home for a 1-0 advantage.

After the Patriots tied the game in the third, the Pacers went back to work in the fourth stanza.

With one down, Moon laced a double down the left field line. He advanced to third on Schoen's single back up the middle. Price followed Schoen with a single to left, which allowed Moon to race home for a 2-1 lead. Schoen and Price each moved up 90 feet on a passed ball. Banks' grounder to second plated Schoen for what turned out to be the final run of the contest.

The three runs was more than enough for a dominant Nick Yobbi. He worked seven innings, striking out four while giving up one run on six hits while improving to 4-0. Yobbi gave up just one walk in the game.

Connor Riley came in for Yobbi and worked a scoreless eighth inning while setting the ninth up for Nick Jobst.

Jobst gave up a pair of hits, but with runners on first and third, he went to work. Jobst struck out a batter on a 3-2 pitch before forcing an infield fly for the second out. After a steal put runners on second and third, Jobst sealed the victory by striking out a batter for the final out of the game.

The teams return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available at PacerSports.com