AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team split a pair of games with Erskine Tuesday afternoon, falling 8-7 before winning 7-2.
In game one, Erskine led 3-0 until the bottom of the third.
Jena Dewalt laid down a bunt and beat it out for an infield hit.
Emily Ayers looped a pitch into right field to put runners on first and second. The two were able to trot home when
Shi Cain registered a three-run home run, knotting the score.
Down 7-3 in the fifth inning, Cain took the first pitch she saw and rocketed a shot over the left center field fence for her second round-tripper of the day.
USC Aiken closed the gap with a run in the sixth. With one down,
Kadence Adams crushed a pitch over the right center field wall to make it 8-5.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Lauren Wexler doubled to center field. Facing a 1-2 count, Dewalt rocketed a home run down the right field line, pulling the squad within one at 8-7. Ayers doubled to the gap in left center field and moved to third on a groundout. However, the Pacers were unable to push across the game-tying run.
For the game, Dewalt led the team with three hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Ayers and Cain had two hits apiece. Cain drove in four and scored twice.
In the circle,
Payton Baker went the distance. She had five strikeouts and gave up four earned runs.
The four round-trippers in the game tied the school record. It marked the seventh time in school history the program had four home runs in a game.
USC Aiken jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second frame of game two. After Adams walked to lead off the inning, Dewalt blasted an offering over the right center field fence for the advantage.
Dewalt's base knock to center field allowed Cain to race home in the third. Cain had walked earlier in the frame. The Pacers made it 4-0 when Ayers rocketed a pitch 230 feet away from home plate over the left center field wall.
Cameron Greene came in as a pinch hitter and ripped a single up the middle, plating
Taylor Butts and Dewalt for a 6-0 margin.
Leading 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth, a groundout by
Caroline Ballentine pushed Adams home for a six-run advantage. Erskine tacked on a run in the seventh for the final tally.
Lakyn Phillips went the distance to pick up the win. She struck out nine.
For the game Dewalt led the way with three hits and three RBI. She also scored twice. Adams and Daum had two hits apiece. Adams scored twice while Greene drove in two.
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.
