AIKEN, S.C. - The No. 12 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team was unable to overcome a strong start by Georgia Southwestern, falling by an 8-5 score Friday evening in the Peach Belt Conference contest. 
 
The Pacers are now 12-4 overall, including a 7-3 mark against league foes. The Hurricanes improve to 11-6 on the year, including a 1-6 record in conference play. 
 
Leading the way for head coach Kenny Thomas' team were Skylar Mercado and Chaz Pal, who each accounted for a pair of hits. Mitchell Price led the team with three RBI.  
 
The visitors got on the board with a run in the first inning. However, head coach Kenny Thomas' team knotted the contest at 1-1 in the bottom half of the frame when Pal launched a solo round-tripper over the left center field wall with one down. 
 
The Hurricanes managed to push a pair of runs across in the second and third stanzas, taking a 5-1 lead. 
 
After a pair of walks with one out in the bottom of the fourth, Georgia Southwestern registered a fly ball for the second out. Price turned on a pitch, rocketing an offering over the left field wall, pulling the team within one, 5-4.  
 
USC Aiken tied the contest by pushing a run across in the bottom of the sixth when Zach Moon's single brought home Skylar Mercado. With a pair of Pacers on the base paths, the squad was unable to bring either runner home, ending the threat with the score tied at 5-5. 
 
The Hurricanes strung together three hits in the seventh inning and managed to make it an 8-5 lead for the visitors. 
 
USC Aiken had a huge threat in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with only one out. However, the Hurricanes recorded a strikeout and a pop-up, ending the stanza with the score still at 8-5. 
 
The teams return to action Saturday for the series-ending doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available at PacerSports.com.