FLORENCE, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team split a pair of games at Francis Marion, winning 2-1 before falling 7-6 in eight innings.

The Pacers are now 2-2 on the season as are the Patriots.

Head coach Jaclin Poole's team jumped on top with a two-run third inning of game one. Holly Daum led off the stanza with a walk and scampered to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Jessica Stanley. Daum scored when Jena Dewalt reached on a fielding error. Dewalt hustled to third after moving to second on a throwing error and a grounder from Mallory Shaver. A double from Emily Ayers pushed Dewalt across home plate for a 2-0 edge.

In the sixth, Ayers singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Brianna Dow. However, she was left stranded. USC Aiken nearly increased its advantage in the seventh. Shircoria Bosket drew a leadoff walk and hustled to second on a sacrifice bunt from Daum. After Stanley walked, a fly ball pushed Bosket to third, but the visitors could not push across an insurance run.  

The Patriots recorded a lead-off single in the seventh, but Payton Baker retired the next three batters, securing the win.

The two runs was all that Baker needed in her first career action. She went the distance, facing 28 batters. Baker struck out five and gave up just four hits while giving up just one run in the complete-game win.

For the game, Ayers posted two hits, including the lone extra-base knock. She drove in one while Daum and Dewalt each scored a run. Dewalt and Stanley registered the other hits for USC Aiken.

Stanley, Skylar Morley, Bosket and Daum all reached by earning walks.

In game two, Stanley led off the game by reaching on an error. Dewalt singled to the shortstop, allowing Stanley to reach third. Ayers blasted a double to the gap in right center field, scoring both Pacers.

Trailing 3-2 in the top of the second, Poole's team quickly knotted the game. With one away, Morley laid down an infield bunt for a hit before moving to second on Stanley's base knock to left field. Dewalt singled home Morley for a 3-3 score.

Morley was the catalyst for the team's fourth run. In the fourth inning, she ripped a single to left field. With one down, she swiped second base before trotting home on Shaver's two-out double to center field.  

FMU had a chance to push multiple runs across in the sixth. The bases were loaded as the Patriots had a pair of base hits and a batter that was hit by a pitch prior to any outs being recorded. Lakyn Phillips was up for the challenge. She registered back-to-back strikeouts without letting the count get deep (2-2 and 1-2) before forcing a foul out to Ayers on a 0-1 pitch for the final out of the frame.

The Patriots tied it in the bottom of the seventh, forcing extra innings. In the eighth, the teams used the international tiebreaker rule, putting a running on second base to start the stanza. With one away, Stanley singled in Brooke Moore while Daum moved to third. Dewalt's double plated Daum but Stanley was out at home, ending the inning.

FMU scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth for the win.

For the game, Dewalt led the way with three hits, including a double. She drove in two and scored once. Morley and Stanley each had two hits. Morley scored twice. Ayers and Shaver had a double each. Ayers drove in two while Shaver and Stanley had one RBI apiece.

Phillips worked 7.1 innings while taking the loss. She posted eight strikeouts.

The Pacers return to action Friday when they host Clarion in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.