AIKEN, S.C. – The No. 3 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team clinched the series with No. 1 Nova Southeastern by posting an 11-3 victory Friday evening.

The Pacers are now 18-3 on the season while the Sharks fall to 14-6.

USC Aiken fell behind 3-0 as the visitors plated two runs in the second and one in the third. However, head coach Kenny Thomas' team battled back in the fourth.

Mitchell Price was hit by a 1-2 pitch to lead things off. Zach Moon singled, sending Price to second. Conner Durden brought both runners home with a triple down the right field line. Nile Goings knotted the game at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly.

After a solid job on the mound by Joseph Benitez in the fourth, USC Aiken took a 4-3 lead when Moon launched a solo blast high over the left field fence.

Brian Parreira blasted a pitch over the right field wall for a 5-3 lead. It marked the first four-bag hit of the season for the junior.

In the seventh, Price delivered a towering shot that bounced off the wall, turning the right fielder around. The ball bounded back into the field and Price ended up on second base. He promptly swiped third base. After Moon walked, a passed ball allowed both runners to trot ahead 90 feet. Price crossed home for a 6-3 margin.

Goings hit a hard ball to the shortstop, but the ball was misplayed. The error put runners on first and second. Luke Westerberg raced onto the field as a pinch runner for Goings. Parriera ripped a pitch up the middle that bounced off the pitcher's glove. The second baseman picked it up and got the out at first, but Moon and Westerberg safely advanced to second and third, respectively.

Tyler Ammerman, the hero of Thursday night's game, hit a routine grounder to second base for what should have been the third out. However, the ball skipped through the glove, allowing Moon and Westerberg to race home for an 8-3 lead.

USC Aiken pushed its advantage to 9-3 in the eighth when Price scored on a wild pitch. Thomas' team tacked on a couple more runs when Westerberg poked a single to center field for an 11-3 advantage.

Benitez worked 7.1 innings, giving up just three runs on seven hits. He struck out nine en route to earning the victory. James Lynch came in and promptly worked the final 1.2 frames.

For the game, Bonilla and Moon had two hits apiece. Durden and Westerberg drove in two runs apiece. Price and Moon crossed home three times each.

It marked the second straight win over the Sharks for USC Aiken.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow for the final game of the series at 1 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available at PacerSports.com.