AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team picked up a pair of wins Saturday to sweep Claflin. Game scores were 16-2 and 3-0.

The Pacers are now 15-18 on the season and 7-8 in league play.

In the first inning of the day, interim head coach Michael Holder's team established a PBC record by plating 11 runs in a PBC game. USC Aiken used the long ball three times in the stanza. Jeff Cyr got things going with a three-run blast over the left field wall. Nick Tripp followed him up with a solo shot over the left center field wall to make it 4-0.

With the bases loaded, Jose Hernandez drew a walk to drive in a run. After a pitching change, Jackson Hannon earned a walk for one RBI. Sean McQuillan singled in Tai Gilbert and Jose Hernandez. Two batters later, Tripp rocketed a three-run round-tripper for the 11-run advantage.

USC Aiken pushed the lead to 13-0 with two runs in the second. Kaden Blankenship ripped a pitch over the left field wall to lead things off. Moments later, Gilbert scored when Hannon reached on a throwing error.  

The visitors pushed across a pair of runs in the third to make it 13-2. USC Aiken got the runs back in the fifth when Hernandez rocketed a single to center field that plated Carson Suess and Blankenship.   Josh Sharp came in as a pinch hitter and doubled in the sixth. He scored on Blankenship's sacrifice fly for the final run for the home team.

For the game, Tripp led the way with two home runs and four RBI. McQuillan notched two hits and drove in two. Cyr and Hernandez each drove in three while Blankenship plated two. Blankenship, Gilbert, Hannon, McQuillan, Suess and Tripp each crossed home twice.

On the mound, AJ Deibel got the start and threw six innings. He struck out seven and gave up one earned run on six hits. Austin Hohm came in for the seventh and tallied a strikeout.  

In game two, USC Aiken had a chance to break the scoreless contest in the fifth inning. With one down, Tucker Rabun walked. Luke Parker came in as a pinch runner. Hannon reached on an error, putting two Pacers on the base paths. A walk to McQuillan loaded the bags, but a fly ball ended the threat.

Claflin had runners on second and third in the sixth but a groundout ended the stanza.

Tripp led off the sixth with a double to left field. Gilbert came in as a pinch runner and took third on a wild pitch. With the infield playing in, Josh Sharp ripped a pitch into center field, giving the home team a 1-0 advantage.

With two outs and two on thanks in part to an error, Marcus Mastellone took a pitch to the opposite field while two Pacers raced home for a 3-0 margin.

At the plate, Blankenship, Mastellone, Sharp and Tripp had hits. Mastellone drove in two while Sharp drove in one. Gilbert, Parker and Sharp all crossed home.

On the mound, Louie Smith worked two scoreless innings and had four strikeouts. Jacob Fletcher tossed four scoreless frames and had five strikeouts while picking up the win. Austin Sandifer tossed the seventh to pick up the save.   

The Pacers return to action when they travel to Augusta on Friday for a 2 p.m. contest. It marks the first game of the three-game slate at AU as the teams will complete the series Saturday, Apr. 9 with a doubleheader.