USC Aiken baseball splits doubleheader with USC Beaufort

The USC Aiken baseball team split a doubleheader with USC Beaufort on Saturday, winning 13-10 before falling by a 5-1 count in the nightcap.

The Pacers are now 13-36 on the season, including 9-17 in Peach Belt Conference play.

Trailing 3-0 in the third inning, Doom Dennis drew a two-out walk. After moving to second on a Brock Myers base knock to left field, Josh Sharp took the first pitch he saw into center field, cutting the deficit to just two, 3-1.

Head coach Michael Holder's team got in control of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Jack Hobson walked and scored on Kaden Usry's triple to the gap in left center field. Joseph Mozingo singled home Usry, knotting the contest at 3-3. Mozingo stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before crossing the plate on Luke Parker's double to left center field.

Parker scampered to third on a passed ball and scored on Cade Bouknight's base hit to right field. Dennis laid down a sacrifice bunt before Myers' single pushed Bouknight to third. A Sharp sacrifice fly extended the margin to three, 6-3.

USCB pushed across a run in the top of the fifth to make it 6-4, but the Pacers got the run back in the bottom of the stanza. Usry drew a walk and went to second on a groundout. Parker's single to center field plated Usry for the 7-4 margin.

With the bases loaded, Sharp doubled down the right field line, clearing the bags for a 10-4 lead. On the play, Parker, Dennis and Myers all raced home for the Pacers.

The Sand Sharks plated a run in the sixth to pull within five, 10-5. In the bottom of the seventh, Myers was hit by a pitch. After moving to third, he scored on Sharp's base knock to right field. Capers Molinaroli singled to left field, putting two on base. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and Sharp scored on Hobson's infield hit. A pitching change could not slow down the Pacers as Molinaroli scored when Usry reached on an error for the second out of the inning. Molinaroli's run made it 13-5.

USCA held on for the 13-10 victory.

For the game, Sharp led the way with three hits and six RBI. Bouknight, Hobson, Myers and Parker tallied two hits each. Parker and Usry had two RBI apiece while Dennis, Myers, Parker and Usry all scored twice.

On the mound, Jacob Fletcher worked 5.1 innings and tallied four strikeouts in the victory. Jared Huse tossed 3.1 frames with a strikeout before Cole Evilsizor came in for the final out, picking up his second save of the year.

Game two saw the visitors score a run in the first, two in the second and two in the fourth for a 5-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Dennis was hit by a pitch but was erased on a fielder's choice by Myers. Sharp continued his stellar day with a base knock to right field, pushing Myers to third. Molinaroli's groundout allowed Myers to score, pulling the team within four at 5-1.

USCA threatened in the seventh with the bases loaded and in the eighth with two on, but the squad was unable to push across a run in either frame.

For the game, Molinaroli, Mozingo and Sharp had two hits apiece. Molinaroli drove in the team's lone run while Myers crossed home.

On the mound, Hunter Steger got the start and worked 3.2 innings. He had four strikeouts. Kevin Cox tossed the final 5.1 innings and had nine strikeouts and only gave up two hits.

The teams will battle tomorrow for the final regular-season game starting at 1 p.m. The winner advances to the PBC Tournament.