DUE WEST, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken softball team swept a pair of games at Erskine Tuesday by scores of 10-9 and 12-1 (5 innings).
The Pacers are now 13-3 on the season.
Head coach
Jaclin Poole's team jumped on top with a run in the top of the first. With two down,
Austyn Dixon doubled to right field and raced home on
Mallory Shaver's base knock up the middle. However, the Flying Fleet took a 2-1 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the stanza.
USC Aiken added six runs in the second frame.
Madison Rogers reached first and swiped second base. A fly ball pushed her to third. Erskine should've been out of the inning, but
Lydia Johnson reached on a swinging third strike that was a wild pitch. Dixon gave the visitors a 3-2 lead with two-RBI single. After a hit from Shaver and a walk to
Skylar Morley,
Kate Newberry uncorked a grand slam over the left center field fence for a 7-2 advantage.
Down 9-7 in the fourth, Shaver blasted a solo shot to make it 9-8. Morley followed it up with a single and swiped second. Newberry singled through the left side, driving in Morley. An error on the play allowed Newberry to race home as well for a 10-9 edge.
Lakyn Phillips came in with one down in the fourth and promptly shut down the Flying Fleet the rest of the way to earn the win.
For the game, Shaver led the way with three hits, including a homer, while driving in two and scoring twice.
Jena Dewalt, Dixon and Newberry had two hits apiece. Newberry registered a five-RBI game and scored twice. Dixon and Morley also crossed home twice each.
In the circle, Phillips went 3.2 innings to get the win. She had six strikeouts as did
Payton Baker, who got the starting nod.
Game two saw USC Aiken trail 1-0 early, but the visitors put six on the board in the second and never looked back. Shaver led off the second inning with a walk and came home on Newberry's two-run shot. Morley walked, swiped second and went to third on an error. She trotted home on Cameron Green's double to right field. With Greene and
Taylor Butts on base, Dewalt belted a three-run round-tripper for a 6-1 advantage.
In the third, Shaver led off with a single up the middle. Newberry followed her with a base knock and each moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch. Shaver scored on Morley's sacrifice fly and Newberry raced home on Greene's double.
The Pacers pushed the score to 11-1 with three runs in the fourth. Dewalt got things going with a single and a steal. Dewalt scored when Johnson reached on an error. Dixon recorded a two-run shot for the 10-run lead. The Pacers tacked on their final run in the sixth when
Anna Turner, who reached on a walk, raced home on Dewalt's triple for the final tally.
For the game, Dewalt had three hits, four RBI and scored twice. Greene and Newberry had two hits apiece. They each drove in two and Newberry scored twice. Dixon drove in a pair of runs and Shaver crossed home twice in the win.
In the circle, Phillips went the distance. She struck out eight batters and walked just two while scattering three hits.
The Pacers return to action Saturday when they host No. 1 North Georgia for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
