AIKEN, S.C. – The USCA baseball team picked up the series win over the Georgia Southwestern on Sunday by a score of 9-5.
The Pacers are now 18-8 on the season including an 8-4 mark in PBC action. The Hurricanes stand at 15-11 overall and 8-4 in conference action.
Head coach
Keith Gorman's team opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning.
Maverick Grigsby and
Osmin Melendez both reached on singles before
Evan Harding blasted a two-out offering deep over the left field wall for a 3-0 lead. Chance Jennings reached on an error and raced home after an errant throw on a dropped third strike allowed
Yariel Diaz to reach, pushing the Pacer lead four.
The Pacers added another run in the third to make it 5-0. After
Salvatore Laimo reached on a bloop pop-up, he promptly swiped second and third before taking off for home on a throwing error.
USCA's offense continued to roll in the fourth as Harding laced a single into left-center field. Jennings then belted an RBI triple to center, plating Harding. Diaz followed suit with an RBI single to left field making it a 7-0 affair.
GSW added runs in the fifth and sixth, and three in the seventh, closing the gap to two, 7-5. The Pacers responded with a pair of runs in the eighth. Harding posted a single. Diaz followed up with a long ball over the left-center field wall for a two run shot for the final score.
For the game, all nine starting Pacers tallied hits. Harding picked up four base knocks, including a three-run home run, three RBI and scored three runs. Jennings recorded a triple and scored twice, while Diaz drove in three runs on two hits with one long ball. Jennings, Grigsby, Laimo, all recorded singles.
Blake Martin,
Joshua Johnson and
Johann Rodriguez also notched hits. Laimo, Grigsby, Melendez and Diaz each crossed home once.
As a team the Pacers stole seven bags in the game with Diaz swiping four. Harding, Johnson and Martin each stole one base respectively.
On the mound,
Kerry Herndon-Brown got the start and worked four scoreless innings, giving up one hit and recording a pair of strikeouts.
Brady Dunlop tossed one-third of a frame.
Will Eichler threw two innings, earning the win, and picked up six strikeouts.
Luke Norman struck out one in a third of an inning.
CJ Lincoln pitched the final 2.2 innings to record the save.
The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they host Newberry at 6 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.
