Softball | April 03, 2021

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AMERICUS, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team lost a pair of hard-fought games at Georgia Southwestern Saturday by scores of 4-3 and 11-5.

The Pacers are now 1-9 while the Hurricanes are 12-6.

In the opener, Jessica Stanley registered a lead-off walk. With one down, Brianna Dow singled to the gap in right center field. With an error on the play, Stanley moved to third before racing home, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, Stanley earned a one-out base on balls. With two down, she moved to second on Dow's base hit to left field. Both Pacers managed to race home when Faith Cooke ripped a triple to left field, knotting the game at 3-3.

The score remained tied until GSW managed to claim the win with a hit in the seventh inning.

For the game, Cooke and Dow had two hits apiece. Cooke drove in a pair of runs while Stanley scored twice. Cockrell went the distance in the circle, striking out five batters. She gave up just one earned run.

In game two, Stanley singled and swiped second to start things off. She moved to third on a fielder's choice. Cooke swiped second and Emily Ayers drove both home on a double to right center field. Ayers moved to third on a fielder's choice from Brooke Moore. A pair of wild pitches allowed Ayers and Moore to score for a 4-0 advantage.

GSW pulled within one after scoring a run in the third and two in the fifth, but head coach Jaclin Poole's team made it a 5-3 game with a run in the sixth. Moore drew a lead-off walk and hustled to second on a sacrifice bunt from Taylor Butts. Maci Hutto belted a double to left center field, scoring Moore for the two-run edge.

The home squad managed to plate eight runs in the bottom of the sixth for the 11-5 win.  

For the game, Ayers led the team with two hits and two RBI while Moore's two runs scored paced USC Aiken.

Rebekah Cook got the start. In all, she pitched 4.1 innings and gave up four runs, but none were earned. Cockrell threw 1.2 innings of relief and had a strikeout. She gave up seven runs, but none were earned.

The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they host Francis Marion in a doubleheader at 3 p.m.