AIKEN, S.C. – The No. 5 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team put together a brilliant season-opening game in the 9-0 victory over Lincoln Memorial Friday evening.
Connor Riley got the start for the Pacers and was spectacular. After giving up a single to lead off the game, he retired the next 13 batters. For the day, Riley worked five innings, giving up a mere hit while striking out seven and walking two.
With a 4-0 lead,
Mitchell Price left no doubt in the home team's win with a crushing three-run round-tripper for a 7-0 lead en route to the victory.
The Pacers broke through with the first run of the season in the second stanza. With one down,
Tyler Ammerman beat out a ground ball to the shortstop. After a deep fly ball for the second out,
Charles Padilla hit one destined for left field, but it was snagged by the shortstop. However, no play could be made to put runners on first and second.
Skylar Mercado ripped a single to center field to make it a 1-0 contest.
Head coach
Kenny Thomas' team increased its lead to 2-0 on an unearned run in the third. An errant throw to check a runner at first base sailed into right field, allowing
Luke Westerberg to score from second base. Westerberg opened the frame with a single before scampering to second on a passed ball.
In the third stanza, Mercado drew a two-out walk. He moved to third on
Jose Bonilla's single before trotting home on
Luke Westerberg's RBI single to right field for a 3-0 advantage.
Westerberg batted in a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, plating Padilla for the 4-0 edge. Price's three-run shot that towered over the left field wall extended the lead to 7-0. The hit forced the second pitching change of the game for the Railsplitters.
USC Aiken tallied an 8-0 lead when rookie
Alex Mills ripped a double down the left field line in his first career at bat.
Nile Goings, who picked up a hit earlier in the eighth, raced around to score on the play.
Brian Parreira doubled home Mills for the 9-0 final.
Christian Aragon got his first action as a Pacer, registering a pair of shutout innings. He struck out one batter while facing 10.
William Ard tossed an inning of shutout ball. He struck out two of the four batters he faced.
Blake Cantrell closed the door on the visitors with a perfect ninth inning. He struck out all three batters he saw.
For the game, Price went three-for-five with a round-tripper and three RBI. Bonilla, Mercado and Westerberg accounted for two hits apiece. Mercado crossed home a pair of times.
The quartet of pitchers combined to strike out 13 batters while giving up just two hits and walking five. The last time USC Aiken shut out an opponent was a 4-0 victory over nationally-ranked Florida Southern on Apr. 15, 2016. It is the sixth straight season-opening victory for Thomas. The shutout victory marked the first in a season opener for the Pacers since a 4-0 blanking at West Florida on Feb. 2, 2001.
The teams return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com. Postgame interviews will be available via USC Aiken Athletics on Facebook Live.
