AIKEN, S.C. – The No. 5 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team completed a three-game sweep of Shepherd with a 17-5 victory Sunday afternoon.
 
The Pacers improve to 7-0 overall while the Rams drop to 1-5.
 
After a scoreless first frame, head coach Kenny Thomas' team went to work in the second stanza. Zach Moon led off the inning with a walk and Brian Parreira copied him to put runners on first and second. Nile Goings singled to load the bags. Tyler Ammerman reached on a fielder's choice, erasing Goings but plating Moon. Charles Padilla followed him up with a double down the left field line, scoring Parreira and Ammerman for a 3-0 advantage.
 
USC Aiken broke open the game in the third when Moon belted a two-run shot over the center field fence for a 5-0 lead. Ammerman's single drove in Parreira, who reached on a single. Jose Bonilla's triple to right field scored Goings, Ammerman and Padilla for the 9-0 margin.
 
Shepherd got on the board with a pair of runs in the fourth, but USC Aiken pushed the lead to double figures when Padilla doubled home Parreira, Goings and Ammerman for a 12-2 score.  
 
After the Rams made it 12-5 in the top of the sixth, Thomas' team quickly got the runs back in the bottom of the frame.

With one down, Bonilla singled to center field. Weeks blasted a triple, allowing Bonilla to cross home and make it 13-5. Moon stepped up to the plate and launched his second homer of the day for a 15-5 advantage.  
 
The score remained the same until the bottom of the eighth. With the bases loaded and two down, Alex Mills stepped into the box and promptly smashed a two-run single into left field, continuing a solid start to his collegiate career.
 
James Lynch got the starting nod and worked five strong innings to pick up the victory. He struck out four batters while giving up just three hits. Bryse Buster worked one frame, striking out one. Christian Aragon worked a scoreless seventh stanza. He struck out one Ram.
 
Hunter Hubbard stepped onto the mound in the eighth and threw a scoreless inning. Rookie Daniel Wiggins trotted to the mound in the ninth to close out the weekend.
 
For the game, Padilla posted a career-high five RBI while belting a pair of doubles. Moon launched a pair of round-trippers, accounting for four RBI. Bonilla drove in three runs while Ammerman had two RBI.
 
Goings and Parreira registered three hits apiece while Ammerman, Bonilla, Mills, Moon and Padilla notched two hits apiece. Ammerman, Moon and Parreira each scored three times while Goings and Weeks crossed home twice apiece.
 
The Pacers return to action Friday when they travel to Mount Olive for a three-game series. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. Live stats will be available at PacerSports.com.