AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team cruised to a 15-1 victory at Augusta Saturday evening.

The Pacers are now 23-13 on the season, including 14-6 in league action.

Head coach Kenny Thomas' team jumped on top with a run in the top of the first when Brian Parreira launched a pitch over the right field wall for the 1-0 edge.

Tied at 1-1 in the second, USC Aiken broke the game wide open and never looked back. The Pacers registered nine runs in the frame off of a mere five hits.

Conner Durden led off the frame with a walk and moved to second on a one-out single by Philip Watcher. With two down, Chandler Rogers singled to load the bags. Jose Bonilla drew a walk, scoring Durden. Weeks belted a pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam, pushing the margin to 6-1.

Parreira reached on an error that should've ended the inning. He moved to second on a passed ball. After Brady O'Neil walked, a Durden walk loaded the bases. Joey Smithers garnered a ground-rule double to center field, plating Parreira and O'Neil. A Watcher single up the middle scored Durden and Smithers for the 10-1 lead.

The score remained the same until the sixth. Durden laced a one-out pitch through the right side of the infield. After Smithers doubled to put two on, Watcher singled both home for a 12-1 advantage.

USC Aiken added to the lead in the ninth when Cary Holloway's groundout allowed Chris Girken to score. Girken led off the frame with a single to right before moving to second when Andre Brown III singled to center field. The dyad moved up a base on a passed ball.

Blake Bottomley, who entered the game earlier, wrapped a single to left field, plating Brown III for a 13-run lead. O'Neil singled to center field, putting two on with one out. Saige Benson singled home Bottomley for the team's final run.

For the game, Mitch Spence picked up the win. He tossed seven strong innings. Spence struck out nine batters while walking just one. He gave up one run, which was unearned, on five hits. Henry Cartrett threw the final two frames.  

Weeks and Watcher each had three hits and four RBI. Durden registered three hits while Rogers and Smithers had two hits apiece. Smithers drove in a pair of runs and scored twice. Durden trotted across home plate three times. Parreira scored twice.

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