FLORENCE, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team overcame deficits in both games of the doubleheader to pick up a pair of wins at Francis Marion Friday. Game scores were 6-4 and 9-6 (10 innings).
The Pacers are now 10-10 on the season.
Trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning of game one,
Jackson Hannon singled through the left side and hustled to second on a wild pitch. With one down, a groundout pushed him to third. Hannon managed to race home when
Jeff Cyr singled to make it 4-1.
USC Aiken trimmed the deficit to one after plating a pair of runs in the sixth.
James Eckert led off with an infield single and moved to third on a base knock by
Sean McQuillan.
Morgan Hyde's sacrifice fly scored Eckert. McQuillan was erased trying to steal, but Hannon's round-tripper made it a 4-3 contest.
Trailing by one entering the ninth inning,
Jose Hernandez came in as a pinch hitter and singled.
Bryce Bulls came in as a pinch runner. With one down, McQuillan walked. After a pitching change,
Morgan Hyde launched a three-run homer to left field for what turned out to be the game-winning hit.
Austin Hohm came in for the final inning on the mound and picked up the save.
Austin Sandifer worked the seventh and eighth frames en route to picking up the win. He had a pair of strikeouts.
For the game, Hannon led the team with three hits. Hyde had two hits and four RBI while Littlefield had two hits. Hannon scored a pair of runs.
In game two,
Nick Tripp singled and moved to second on a base knock from
Leo Horacio. Cyr singled to load the bags before
Tyler Littlefield reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Tripp to score.
Down 2-1 in the fourth, Tripp got things going once again with a double to right center field. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, Cyr lifted a sacrifice fly to right center field, knotting the score at 2-2.
Down 3-2 in the sixth, Horacio doubled in Hannon, who led off the inning with a base hit to right field.
USC Aiken trailed 5-3 heading into the seventh, but the visitors scored one run in the seventh and two in the eighth to take a 6-5 lead.
Hyde singled in Bulls, who came in as a pinch runner for
Stokes Brownlee, who drew a lead-off walk. Cyr's sacrifice fly plated Tripp in the eighth and Littlefield also registered a sacrifice fly that scored Horacio for the one-run advantage.
FMU tied it in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game into extra innings.
USC Aiken plated three runs in the top of the 10
th. Tripp walked to lead things off and was pushed to second on a sacrifice bunt from
Tai Gilbert. After Cyr was hit by a pitch, Littlefield struck out. With one down,
Marcus Mastellone singled and moved to second on a throwing error that allowed Tripp and Cyr to race home. Eckert drew a walk and McQuillan knocked him in for a 9-6 margin.
A double play in the bottom of the 10
th and a fly ball ended the game.
For the contest, Horacio pounded out three hits, including two doubles in the win. McQuillan and Tripp had two hits apiece. Cyr and Littlefield each drove in two while Tripp crossed home four times.
Hyde worked 1.1 innings to pick up the victory. Lindsey Robinson started the game and had six strikeouts while
Henry Cartrett added two over 2.2 frames. Hohm worked two-thirds of an inning.
The Pacers return to action tomorrow for the final game of the series beginning at 1 p.m.
