NEWBERRY, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team had a sensational seventh-inning rally and held on for a 6-4 victory at Newberry Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers improve to 3-1-1 on the year while the Wolves fall to 6-3. The second game of the doubleheader was cancelled due to the weather.

Newberry jumped on top with a run in the first inning, but it looked as if USC Aiken would counter quickly. The team registered a pair of hits in the second inning, but nobody was able to cross home plate.

After Hayley Elkins worked her way out of a jam in the third, head coach Jerry Snyder's team got things going in the fourth. With one down, Sydney Murphy rocketed a single to left field. However, she was erased when Elkins reached on a fielder's choice. Chandler Terrapin reached on a fielder's choice while Elkins advanced to second. Magan Thrower drew a walk to load the bases. However, a pop-up ended the bases-loaded threat.

In the top of the fifth, Snyder sent in rookie Hanna Hyder as a pinch hitter. She responded with a base knock up the middle in her first collegiate at bat. After promptly stealing second, she moved to third on Brielle Jungblut's groundout. Sarah Sams reached on an error that plated Hyder, knotting the score at 1-1.

Newberry regained the lead in the bottom of the stanza, but USC Aiken battled back. The team loaded the bases again in the sixth, but a hard-hit grounder ended the threat. Elkins posted a base hit into the gap to lead things off. Terrapin singled through the right side. With two down, Julianne Leduc drew a four-pitch walk prior to the inning ending.

The Wolves nearly added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth, but Elkins struck out a batter to send the contest to the seventh frame.

Jungblut led off the last at bat with a walk. Courtney Strauss reached on a fielder's choice. Murphy drew a full-count walk to load the bags. Elkins promptly helped herself, singling home Jungblut. However, Strauss was thrown out at the plate with the score tied at 2-2.

Terrapin smacked a double to right field, scoring Murphy and Elkins. With two down, Lowery earned a walk while a wild pitch on ball four allowed Terrapin to take third. 

Leduc drew a walk to load the bases. Then, Kathleen St. Peter drove in her first career run with a four-pitch walk. After changing pitchers, Jungblut worked the count full before watching the pay-off pitch miss the strike zone, driving in Lowery for a 6-2 advantage.

Although Newberry scored two runs in the seventh, USC Aiken got out of the game with the two-run victory.

For the game, Elkins and Terrapin had three hits apiece. Murphy and Hyder had the other two hits. Terrapin drove in a pair of runs.

Elkins improves to 2-1 with the win. She struck out eight in the complete-game victory.  

The Pacers return to action Tuesday when they travel to Converse. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.