AIKEN, S.C. – Caroline Cockrell threw a perfect game in the opener against Shaw as the University of South Carolina Aiken softball team picked up a sweep by scores of 5-0 and 14-1.

The Pacers are now 8-0 on the season.

In the opener, Cockrell was outstanding. She struck out 17 of the 21 batters she faced and registered the perfect game in 98 pitches.

Courtney Strauss took the first pitch and ripped a single before swiping second. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, she raced home on a sacrifice fly by Katelyn Powell for a 1-0 edge. Powell singled home Sarah Sams in the second frame for a 2-0 advantage. Sams had singled through the left side of the field before swiping second and moving to third on Hanna Hyder's base knock.

The score remained the same until the sixth inning thanks to some tremendous defensive plays by the Bears. However, head coach Jerry Snyder's team broke through in the sixth with three runs. Katie Painter singled home Deja Robinson before a groundout from Sams plated Shircoria Bosket for a 4-0 advantage. Hyder's bunt single scored Painter for the 5-0 tally.

In the seventh, Cockrell faced three batters and went to a 3-2 count on the last two Bears before getting the last two outs via swinging strikeouts. It was the only times in the game when she went to a full count on a batter. The perfect game was the first for USC Aiken since Feb. 22, 2014.

For the game, Emily Ayers, Hyder and Powell had two hits apiece. Powell drove in two runs in the contest.

In game two, Shaw took a quick 1-0 lead before Snyder's squad battled back with four runs in the bottom of the first. Strauss got things going with a bunt single. She quickly swiped second and third. Powell walked and both came home on a hit by Brooke Moore for a 2-1 lead. A sacrifice fly from Ayers allowed Moore to cross home plate. Jessica Smith scored on a wild pitch for a 4-1 margin.

The Pacers added a run in the second on a solo blast down the left field line off the bat of Strauss. In the third, Painter singled and swiped second. She raced home on Maci Hutto's double. Deja Robinson singled and with one away, Powell blasted a shot down the right field line. The ball curled toward the foul line and she rounded the bases for an inside the park round-tripper, giving the team a 9-1 lead.

Hutto blasted a shot in the fourth to the wall in right center field for a triple. The hit plated Bosket, who had reached on an error. Robinson rocketed a pitch over the left center field wall for a two-run round-tripper. Strauss and Powell each scored on miscues for the 14-1 advantage.

For the game, Strauss had three hits while Moore and Painter had two each. Powell drove in three runs while Strauss and Powell each crossed home three times.

Melanie Firestone pitched the final four innings to pick up her first career victory. She recorded four strikeouts.  

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they host Emmanuel at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available at PacerSports.com.