AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team lost a doubleheader to Armstrong State by scores of 6-1 and 8-4 Tuesday afternoon.
The Pacers fall to 16-10-1 on the season and 5-5 against conference teams. The Pirates improve to 19-6 on the year and 9-1 against PBC squads.
The visitors jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but
Hayley Elkins settled down after that and did not allow another run for the next three frames.
Head coach
Jerry Snyder's team got things going in the fourth when
Chandler Terrapin singled.
Magan Jean Thrower singled and each moved up an extra 60 feet on an error. A groundout by
Hannah Price made it a 3-1 game as Terrapin raced home. However, that was all USC Aiken could muster in the stanza.
Armstrong State managed to put three runs on the board in the fifth before keeping the home team off the scoreboard over the final three innings for the five-run win.
The Pirates scored four runs in the top of the first of game two, but Snyder's team fought back.
With two down in the first, Terrapin singled to the gap in right center field. Thrower walked to put two runners on base. Price was hit by a pitch to load the bags. A wild pitch allowed Terrapin to score, making it 4-1. Elkins had the count full but a deep fly ball was caught by the left fielder, ending the threat.
The Pirates managed to push across three runs in the third off a round-tripper.
USC Aiken made it 7-2 with a run in the bottom of the third.
Sydney Kate Murphy singled and moved to second on a fielder's choice. Another fielder's choice erased Murphy, but put Thrower and Terrapin on the base paths. Price doubled home Terrapin for the score. Back-to-back outs by the Pacers ended the inning.
Trailing 8-2 in the sixth,
Leah Boghosian's single drove in a run. The Pacers loaded the bases but a fielder's choice ended the stanza.
USC Aiken loaded the bases in the seventh and scored a run on
Sarah Timmerman's groundout, but the team could not plate any more runs in the contest.
The Pacers return to action Thursday when they travel to Barton for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.