USC Aiken Takes Two from Rival Jaguars on Saturday
AIKEN, S.C. – The 12th-ranked USC Aiken baseball team mounted comebacks in the latter innings in both of the games of a doubleheader sweep of rival Augusta State on Saturday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
The Pacers erased a one-time 7-2 deficit in game one to emerge with a 12-8 victory in the first game before overcoming a 5-1 deficit for a 7-6 win in the nightcap.
USC Aiken with the two victories improved to 27-12 on the 2010 season. The Pacers are now 14-6 in the Peach Belt Conference. The two losses to the Pacers on Saturday dropped the Jaguars to 12-25 overall. Augusta State is now 3-14 in the PBC.
In game one, USC Aiken entered the bottom of the seventh inning down 7-2. Things changed from there with USC Aiken posting six runs in the frame to acquire its first lead of the contest at 8-7.
The Pacers manufactured the majority of the runs in the inning with Matt Key (New Ellenton, S.C./Silver Bluff) sacrificing in Gary Asbill (Batesburg, S.C./Batesburg-Leesville) for the inaugural run of the frame. Asbill had been hit by a pitch to arrive on base.
A pitching change by Augusta State shortly thereafter would not change things as the Pacers kept pressing. USC Aiken’s Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden) singled up the middle next to bring in JJ Loker (Elkton, Va./Spotswood), who had been walked by Augusta State starter Wilson Taylor. A couple batters later, Bill Rice (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester County) singled in Alex Frankin (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta).
The score 7-5, USC Aiken’s Travis Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC Salkehatchie) was walked one batter after Rice, leaving the bases jammed with Josh Miller (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) on third base and Rice at second base along with Howard at first base. Nick Aranas (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) took advantage of the situation by drawing a walk that set the score at 7-6 in Augusta State’s favor. Up again, Asbill was hit by a pitch from Augusta State reliever Jacob Watson to bring in Rice and even the score at 7-7. Pinch-hitting for Loker, David Vitko (Columbiana, Ohio/Youngstown State) was then walked to bring in Howard for USC Aiken’s first lead of the contest at 8-7.
In the top of the eighth, Augusta State was able to procure a run that tied the game once again at 8-8. USC Aiken was able to garner four runs in the bottom portion of the eighth to garner the eventual four-run win. Jowan Gray (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken) scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch from Augusta State reliever Zach Minter.
Howard then made sure that the Jaguars would not be able to get any closer by closing out the inning with a two-run home run to left field. The home run came after Rice singled through the right side to bring in Carmon for the 10th run of the game for the Pacers.
Carmon was one of three Pacers in the first game to concluded the contest with multiple hits as he and Rice and Franklin all finished the first game win with two hits. Rice was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Carmon was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Franklin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Augusta State overall finished the first game with two more hits than the Pacers at 11-9.
USC Aiken reliever Christian Stutts (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken) moved to 2-1 on the season in relief of Pacer starter Steven Owens (Sykesville, Md./Richmond), who acquired a no decision. Stutts dealt the final 1.2 innings, fanning two.
Minter suffered the loss in game one for the Jaguars in relief of starter Wilson Taylor. Minter pitched just two-thirds of an inning, walking three and allowing three earned runs.
In the second game, USC Aiken once again allowed the Jaguars to take an early lead at 5-1. USC Aiken would acquire six runs in four of its final five at-bats to obtain the one-run win.
The Pacers had pulled even in the second game at 5-5 entering the top of the seventh inning.
USC Aiken made sure that they commandeered the doubleheader sweep with two runs in the bottom of the seventh stanza.
Gray once again acquired a pivotal run in the second game on a Franklin single to left field. Gray had obtained an infield single to arrive on base. The score 6-5 in the Pacers’ favor, Rice then collected what would become the eventual game-winning run by grounding out to the second baseman. The groundout was just enough to bring in Carmon for a 7-5 lead.
Augusta State would scratch one more run across in the top of the ninth inning to push the Pacers to the edge, but USC Aiken would hold on for the 7-6 victory.
Jason Cochcroft (Gilbert, S.C./Gilbert) pitched beautifully in relief of starter Thomas McLeod (Chapin, S.C./Chapin) to improve to 5-0 on the 2010 season. Cochcroft retired all 15 of the batters that he faced in relief of McLeod. Cochcroft struck out three of the 15 batters.
Chad Benefield (Dallas, Ga./Southern Union CC) obtained his sixth save of the year in the game.
Augusta State reliever Joah Evans suffered the loss. Evans pitched the final two innings, allowing two earned runs. He is now 1-5 on the year.
Carmon was the catalyst at the dish in game two in an overall strong game at the plate for the Pacers, who finished with 17 total hits in the second game. Carmon was 4-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI in game two. Five Pacers finished with multiple hits in game two in total with Howard (3-for-5), Aranas (2-for-5), Loker (2-for-4) and Miller (2-for-4) all finishing with multiple hits.
USC Aiken will look for the three-game sweep of Augusta State with a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday, Apr. 11 at the ‘Bert.
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