AIKEN, S.C.  – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team dropped a 10-6 game against UNC Pembroke Saturday afternoon.

USC Aiken is now 18-14 on the season and 10-7 in league play. The Braves sit at 16-16 overall and 6-11 in the PBC.

Zach Rafuse got the starting nod on the mound, throwing five innings and striking out five.

Trailing by three going into the fourth inning, the Pacers put their first run up on the board as they began to strike back. Luke Leisenring stepped up to the plate and belted a leadoff home run to make it 3-1.

They followed that up the very next inning, scoring three more runs. With one out, both Chandler Rogers and Conner Durden drew walks in-turn. A batter later, Leisenring reached on a throwing error that brought Rogers home and sent Durden to third. Trey Polewski then shot a single out to center that pushed Durden across home plate, which was closely followed by a single from Philip Watcher that brought in Leisenring to make it 6-4.

After a lull for both teams in the sixth, the Pacers struck back one last time in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and Durden on first off a walk, Polewski drew a walk of his own, followed by pinch hitter Cary Holloway being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Blake Bottomley stepped up and smacked a single to the shortstop that brought both Durden and Polewski home to make it a tied ballgame at 6-6.

The Braves managed to pick up four more runs in the top of the ninth, finishing the score at 10-6 against USC Aiken.

For the game, Bottomley, Durden, Leisenring, Polewski and Watcher all had one hit apiece.

On the mound, Hunter Shuff threw two innings while striking three out and Austin Sandifer threw one inning while striking out one.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow, March 31, to finish off the series against the Braves at 1 p.m.