AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team dropped a 21-14 contest to Mount Olive Saturday afternoon.
Mitch Spence got the starting nod on the mound. Through five innings of work, he gave up two hits and walked two while striking out four.
Head coach Kenny Thomas' team gained an early lead, picking up three runs in the bottom of the first. Jose Bonilla reached first on an error by the Trojans and was pushed over to second when Brian Parreira was hit by a pitch. Bonilla rounded third and came home for the first run on another error while Parreira stole second. Two batters later, Daulton Weeks was walked and then promptly brought home with Parreira on a triple to left field hit by Philip Watcher to make it 3-0. Andre Brown III then struck out to end the inning.
Mount Olive put up their first runs in the top of the second plating two.
The Pacers didn't let the runs go unanswered though, plating five of their own in the bottom of the inning. Chandler Rogers and Bonilla were both walked with one out and were pushed to second and third respectively when Joey Smithers reached on an error. Conner Durden proceeded to bring in Rogers and Bonilla and push Smithers over to third on a double to right field. Off of a single to right field, Weeks then managed to plate Smithers and Durden. He then moved to second off a single from Watcher and then home on a single from Brown III. Blake Bottomley flied out to end the inning, leaving it 8-2.
After a three-up, three-down top to the third inning, USC Aiken plated yet another four runs. To start it off, Rogers was walked and then went ahead and stole second on Bonilla's strike out. He then came around to home when Parreira slammed a double down the right field line. Smithers was also walked and was shortly followed by Durden who singled to center, loading the bases. Weeks stepped up to the plate and delivered with a double that brought Parreira and Smithers home while Durden advanced to third. Durden came across home plate for the final run of the inning while watcher grounded out to first base, making it 12-2.
The Trojans managed to battle back across the fourth and fifth innings, picking up three more runs and making it 12-5.
In the bottom of the fifth, USC Aiken plated another run as Smithers doubled to left center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Weeks was then walked and promptly stole second. With two Pacers in scoring position, Watcher flied out on a sacrifice to left field, plating Smithers. Brown III struck out swinging to finish out the inning.
The game hit a lull until the top of the seventh came around and Mount Olive came alive, plating four runs and making it a 13-9 ball game.
The Pacers managed to get their last run of the game over home plate in the bottom of the seventh. After Parreira grounded out to start it off, Smithers stepped up to the plate and smashed a solo home run to make it 14-9.
As the top of the eighth came around, the Trojans made to come back, plating four more runs. They finished their work in the top of the ninth, pushing eight runs across home plate and making the final score 21-14 in their favor.
For the game, Watcher had three hits while Parreira, Smithers, Durden and Weeks all registered two hits each. Brown III also each earned a hit. Wiggins picked up the loss.
On the mound, Jarod McElyea worked 1.2 innings while giving up two runs, walking two and striking out one. Daniel Wiggins tossed 1.1 innings and struck out three while giving up three runs and walking one.
The Pacers return to action tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.
