SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 3 University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team posted a 12-9 10-inning victory over Armstrong State Sunday afternoon, completing the sweep of the league foe.
The Pacers are now 15-3 overall, including a 6-0 mark against conference competition. The Pirates fall to 13-6 overall and 0-3 in league play.
Head coach
Kenny Thomas' team found itself trailing 2-0 after the fourth inning. However, USC Aiken got things going in the sixth stanza.
With one down,
Jonathan Banks drew a walk and moved to third on
Mitchell Price's double to left field.
Zach Moon drove him in with a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to one, 2-1.
Conner Durden blasted a single up the middle, scoring Price and knotting the contest at 2-2.
Nick Yobbi shut down the Pirates in the bottom of the sixth and the Pacers took a one-run lead in the seventh frame.
Skylar Mercado reached on a fielder's choice, erasing
Daulton Weeks at second base after he had reached on an infield single.
Joey Smithers grounded out, but Mercado managed to hustle to second base on the play.
Jose Bonilla rocketed a triple to center field, scoring Mercado for the 3-2 margin.
Thomas' team broke open the game in the eighth. Moon walked to lead things off.
Freddie Beamon III came in as a pinch runner and jogged to second base when
Andre Brown III walked.
David Lankster laid down a sacrifice bunt to push Beamon III and Brown III up 90 feet apiece.
Weeks doubled in two and moved to third when Mercado lifted a foul fly ball that was caught.
Joey Smithers singled home Weeks for a 6-2 lead. The Pirates countered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, bringing the score to 6-4.
USC Aiken pushed its margin to five by scoring three insurance runs in the ninth frame. However, the Pirates plated five in the bottom of the ninth, extending the game.
Price started the 10
th with an infield single. He moved to second on
Luke Westerberg's base hit.
Charles Padilla drove him home with a double for a 10-9 lead. Weeks continued his stellar day with a two-RBI single up the middle.
For the game, Yobbi worked 6.2 innings, striking out six. He gave up two runs on five hits in the win.
William Ard (3-0) tossed 1.1 frames en route to earning the win. He struck out one and did not give up a run.
Weeks went four-for-five with five RBI. He smacked two doubles. Bonilla and Price each had two hits. Bonilla drove in two while Price crossed home three times.
The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they host Saint Rose at 6 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.