AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team registered a 12-11 victory in 12 innings Sunday afternoon, completing the sweep of Young Harris.
The Pacers are now 19-14 overall and 17-13 in league play.
The visitors plated five runs in the first but USC Aiken countered with a three-run inning.
James Eckert led things off with a double. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from
Morgan Hyde and scored on the ensuing play as
Jackson Hannon reached on an error.
Nick Tripp's walk put two on.
David Jacobs singled home Hannon. With two down,
Jeff Cyr tripled in Tripp to make it 5-3.
Trailing 7-3 in the fourth, the Pacers unleashed a five-run frame. Jacobs had a lead-off single and moved to second on Cyr's base knock. The dyad each stole a base. With one down,
Tai Gilbert reached on an error, plating Jacobs. A wild pitch scored Cyr and Gilbert scored on a sacrifice bunt from
Marcus Mastellone.
Eckert reached on an error and Hyde tripled him home, momentarily tying the game at 7-7. Hannon's base hit to third base scored Hyde, giving the home squad an 8-7 advantage.
YHC regained the lead in the fifth with a two-run homer, making it a 9-8 game. The Mountain Lions tacked on a run in the eighth to make it 10-8.
USC Aiken pulled within one in the eighth when Eckert doubled home
Trey Polewski, who had drawn a lead-off pinch hit walk. Cyr tied it with two outs in the ninth on a single to right field, forcing extra innings.
Down 11-10 in the 12
th,
Leo Horacio tripled to right field and scored on a single by Eckert. Hyde doubled to left field, putting runners at second and third with one out.
Jackson Hannon was intentionally walked, bringing up
Kaden Blankenship, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right field allowing Eckert to cross home for the game-winning run.
For the game, Cyr recorded four hits and had two RBI. Eckert notched three hits and two RBI. Hyde and
David Jacobs had two hits apiece. Hannon drove in two runs while Eckert scored twice.
Alex Stobert got the start on Senior Day and worked 3.2 innings.
Blake Seigler tossed 5.1 frames while Hyde threw the final three innings, picking up the win. The trio combined for seven strikeouts.
The Pacers return to action Friday at Lander. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.