COLUMBUS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team dropped an 8-6 game against Columbus State Saturday afternoon.
 
USC Aiken is now 17-12 on the season and 9-6 in league play. The Cougars sit at 19-8 overall and 8-4 in the PBC.
 
Garvin Alston Jr. got the starting nod on the mound, throwing 2.1 innings and striking out two.
 
Going into the third inning down 3-0, the Pacers fought back hard to grab two runs. Cary Holloway started things off with a leadoff single to left and moved to second after Jackson Hannon drew a walk. Joey Smithers followed it up with an infield single that filled the bases before Trey Polewski smacked a single to left that brought both Holloway and Hannon home to make it 3-2.
 
Down 6-2 in the next frame, USC Aiken answered with two more runs. Chandler Rogers drew a leadoff walk and was immediately brought around on a homer by Blake Bottomley to make it 6-4.
 
The Pacers nearly came back with a rally effort in the top of the ninth after being down 8-4. Sean McQuillan picked up a walk and quickly moved over to second on a steal. Polewski drew a walk of his own and headed over to second on a walk by Luke Leisenring. With the bases full, a balk by the Cougars brought McQuillan across home plate. After Conner Durden was hit by a pitch, Polewski dashed across home on a ground out to the pitcher to finish the scoring at 8-6.
 
For the game, Bottomley, Holloway, Polewski, Rogers, Conner Durden, Alex Mills and Joey Smithers all picked up one hit apiece.
 
On the mound, Lindsey Robinson Jr., Jon Yarbrough, Hunter Shuff and Henry Cartrett each put in at least one inning worth of work. Cartrett and Yarbrough struck out two apiece, while Robinson Jr. and Shuff struck out one each.
 
The Pacers return to action Thursday, March 28 as they head to SRP Park to take on Augusta at 6 p.m.