Pacers Notch Road Win

WINGATE, N.C. – The No. 5 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team registered a 12-8 road win at Wingate Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference contest.

The Pacers are now 4-0 on the year while the Bulldogs fall to 1-3.

Conner Durden led the offense with three RBI while Jonathan Banks and Daulton Weeks each accounted for two.

Banks, Jose Bonilla and Weeks garnered three hits apiece while Bonilla, Zach Moon and Weeks each crossed home twice. USC Aiken tallied 13 hits – seven of which went for extra bases. Head coach Kenny Thomas' team belted four round-trippers.

Christian Aragon came in to relieve Nick Yobbi and registered his first win. Aragon tossed 2.1 innings of work, striking out three. Blake Cantrell worked two-thirds of an inning while Joseph Benitez struck out four batters over two frames. Mitch Spence closed out the contest.

The Pacers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning before increasing their margin to 8-0 in the second stanza. Wingate pulled close late, making it a 10-8 game in the sixth inning before the visitors tallied the final two runs of the contest in the ninth.

Banks led off the game with a double to right center field. He came home two pitches later when Luke Westerberg singled. With two runners on, Banks walked to load the bags. Tyler Ammerman's fielder's choice plated Westerberg. Durden cleaned up the baes paths with a first-pitch three-run blast over the right field wall for a 5-0 edge. Facing a 1-1 count, Weeks blasted a solo shot for a 6-0 edge.

In the second stanza, Bonilla singled and swiped second. He moved to third on Mitchell Price's groundout. After Moon walked, Banks drove both runners in with a double for an 8-0 score.

USC Aiken made it 9-3 in the third when Weeks scored on a fielding error. Banks rocketed a solo shot over the fence in the fourth, pushing the margin to 10-5.

Leading by a 10-8 score heading into the ninth, Moon gave the Pacers some working room when he garnered a solo shot down the left field line. Later in the frame, Weeks singled home Banks, who had followed Moon with a single. Banks' run marked the final one of the game.

The Pacers return to action Friday when they host Shepherd at 4 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.