GREENWOOD, S.C. – An eight-run fourth inning propelled the University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team to a 14-8 victory at Lander Thursday evening.

The Pacers are now 23-17 on the season, including a 13-9 ledger in league play. The Bearcats drop to 16-29 overall and 11-14 in league action.

Trailing 4-1 entering the fourth inning, head coach Kenny Thomas' team got things going at the plate and promptly batted around in the eight-run stanza.

Chandler Rodgers drove in a pair of runs on a base hit to get things going in the fourth. Luke Leisenring drew a bases load walk for one RBI. Conner Durden's double drove in Sean McQuillan and Jackson Hannon before Philip Watcher's RBI infield single concluded the scoring in the frame.

Leisenring drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. After McQuillan scored on a wild pitch, Durden went back to work, singling home Hannon for a 12-5 lead.

Up by a 12-6 score in the seventh, Alex Mills got into the action with an infield single that scored Hannon. Watcher followed him up with a base hit to left field, plating Leisenring for a 14-6 advantage.

The Bearcats scored a run in the eighth and another in the ninth to cap off the scoring.

Mitch Spence worked five frames to pick up the win. He struck out eight and walked three while facing 25 batters. Jon Yarbrough threw two scoreless innings. He struck out two and walked one. William Ard tossed a pair of innings to close things out.  

For the game, Watcher led the way with four hits. Durden had a team-high three RBI while Leisenring, Rogers and Watcher all drove in two. Hannon walked four times and scored three times. Huntley, Leisenring, McQuillan and Watcher each scored twice. The lone extra-base hit for USC Aiken came via Durden's double.

The Pacers return to action tomorrow when they play the Bearcats in the second game of the series starting at 6 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.