AIKEN, SC – The University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team lost a 9-6 decision to the North Georgia Nighthawks Friday evening. 


The team is now 11-33 on the season and 7-15 in conference play.
 
Head coach Michael Holder's team got the first hit of the night after Josh Sharp sent a pitch into shallow right field and turned it into a single. Sharp stole second shortly after and advanced to third base after a groundout from Capers Molinaroli. Sharp reached home and scored the first run of the night for the Pacers off a balk. The home team headed into the second inning with a 1-0 lead.
 
The Pacers found themselves down 6-1 heading into the bottom of the second inning, but Kaden Usry hit a leadoff single to get the Pacers on base. Jack Hobson reached first on a fielder's choice, and Joseph Mozingo advanced Hobson to second off a single. Cade Bouknight sent Hobson home for an RBI single. Brock Myers sent a pitch into shallow left fiend to send Mozingo home. The Pacers were down 6-3 heading into the third inning.
 
After Luke Parker was hit by a pitch in the fourth, he stole second. Myers rocketed a single through the infield, but Parker would be called out at home plate, ending the fourth inning.
 
Capers Molinaroli recorded a single in the fifth inning, and Dalton Graves was walked right after. Usry recorded a single, sending Molinaroli home. Hobson hit a triple, sending Graves and Usry home and tying the ball game. Mozingo hit a single, but Hobson was called out. Parker hit a single to send Mozingo to third. The Pacers headed into the sixth inning with the game knotted up at six.
 
After Sharp was walked in the sixth, Molinaroli recorded a single to advance Sharp to second. No runners made it home, and the Pacers were down one run heading into the seventh inning.
 
Myers opened the eighth inning with a single, and Molinaroli hit another single to send Myers to second base. Graves was walked to load the bases, but the home squad was unable to push across any runs.
 
Jacob Fletcher got the start on the mound tonight. He pitched 1.2 innings and gave up six runs, three of which were earned. Fletcher also struck two batters out. Connor Sampers pitched 1.1 innings and struck out two batters while giving up zero runs. Caden Purvis pitched 3.0 innings, striking out three batters and giving up one run which was earned. Cole Evilsizor pitched 1.0 inning, striking out a batter and giving up no runs. Evan Condon, AJ Deibel, and Louie Smith also saw time on the mound tonight.
 
Myers and Molinaroli tallied three hits each. Usry notched two hits. Sharp, Hobson, Mozingo, Parker, and Bouknight each contributed one hit.
 
The Pacers will conclude the series tomorrow with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon beginning at 2. Live stats and video will be available on PacerSports.com.