Box Score NEWBERRY, S.C. – The No. 5 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team needed 10 innings to pull out a 9-5 win at Newberry Wednesday evening in a non-conference contest.
The Pacers improve to 30-6 on the year while the Wolves fall to 25-13-1.
Head coach Kenny Thomas' team jumped on top with a run in its first at bat. Skylar Mercado led off the game with a single through the left side of the infield. After Brian Parreira took one for the team, putting runners on first and second, Zach Moon roped a single to left field for a 1-0 edge.
The lead was quickly erased as the Wolves tied the contest in the bottom of the frame. USC Aiken regained the advantage on the first offering of the second inning when Mitchell Price blasted a solo shot over the left center field fence for a 2-1 margin.
The Pacers gave up three runs in the bottom of the second, but knotted the game in the top of the third.
Mercado walked to lead off the third and trotted to second on a balk. A base knock by Chaz Pal pushed Mercado to third and he raced home when Parreira lifted a sacrifice fly to right field. After Moon walked and Max Schoen was hit by a pitch, Price's fly ball plated Pal, tying the contest at 4-4.
In the top of the fourth, Tyler Ammerman led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Mercado laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Ammerman to third. Pal's groundout allowed Ammerman to race home for a 5-4 advantage.
Newberry tied it in the bottom of the fourth but neither team could push a run across the rest of the way, forcing extra innings.
Mercado led off the 10th with a single on the first pitch he saw. He was replaced by Joey Smithers, who advanced to second on a single by Pal.
After Luke Westerberg replaced Pal as a pinch runner, Parreira reached on a fielder's choice and moved to third on a throwing error. The miscue allowed Smithers and Westerberg to each cross home plate for a 7-5 lead. Moon followed Parreira up with a two-run round-tripper down the right field line for a 9-7 margin on a 3-2 pitch.
James Lynch came in at the start of the inning and promptly shut down Newberry for the final three outs. Trevor Hutto started the game and pitched four innings. He gave up five runs, four of which were earned, on six hits. Brooks Calvo tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless work. Nick Jobst came in for the final two outs of the ninth and picked up the victory.
At the plate, Moon led the way with three hits and three RBI. Pal and Mercado each had a pair of hits. Price drove in two while Mercado crossed home twice.
It marked the fifth extra-inning game for USC Aiken this season – and all five the team has come out victorious.
The Pacers return to action Friday when they travel to Augusta at 6 p.m. (Lake Olmstead Stadium). Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
