Indians Claim Victory Over Pacers on Senior Day
AIKEN, S.C. – Seniors Travis Howard and Gary Asbill both celebrated senior day by ripping two-run home runs, but it was not enough as the nationally-ranked Pacers closed the curtains on the 2010 season by dropping an afternoon game to the nationally-ranked Indians of Catawba at Roberto Hernandez Stadium on senior day. The Indians were able to jump out to an early lead and held on in the waning innings to best USC Aiken 11-8.
USC Aiken ends their regular season with an overall record of 31-18 heading into next weekend’s Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.
Catawba secured their 40th win of the season, improving to 40-11 for the 2010 campaign.
Wade Moore did not waste any time getting the game started as he led off for Catawba with a home run over the center field fence off his first pitch of the game.
John Neese followed up a few batters later to keep the Indians’ attack from the plate going as he hit a three-run home run to put the score at 4-0. Ryan Bostian and Garrett Furr both scored on the play.
The senior slugger Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC Salkehatchie) answered for the Pacers in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run of his own to score Josh Miller (Chapin, S.C./Chapin), keeping the score manageable at 4-2.
In the following inning, J.J. Loker (Elkton, Va./Spotswood) crossed the plate off a well-placed bunt by Josh Attaway (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) to pull the Pacers within one at 4-3.
The Indians began a full assault from the plate in the top of the third inning, extending their lead to six. The Indians acquired five runs off five hits as Craige Lyerly, Furr, Neese, Brett Underwood and Corey Parker all crossed the dish for Catawba in the half inning to put the Indians up 9-3.
Lyerly kept things rolling for Catawba in the top of the sixth inning when he ripped a solo home run to put the score at 10-3.
USC Aiken attempted to make a comeback over the remaining innings. Senior designated hitter Asbill (Batesburg, S.C./Batesburg-Leesville) did his part to try and lift the Pacers over the Indians when he jacked a two-run home run over the left-center wall to score Nick Aranas (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) from third, bring the score to 10-5.
Josh Hohn secured the final run for the Indians in the top of the seventh when he crossed the plate off a sacrifice fly by Zeb Link to put the score at 11-5.
Attaway and Tripp Warrick were able to pull the Pacers to within three over the next two innings. Attaway scored off a shot by Aranas in the bottom of the seventh before the Pacers headed into the bottom of the eighth inning.
Warrick (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) came in to pinch hit for Attaway and promptly sent a two-run home run over the right field wall, driving David Vitko (Columbiana, Ohio/Youngston State) home to set the score at 11-8.
Despite loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Pacers were unable to capitalize to end the season on a high note.
Six Pacers accrued multiple hits in the game with Attaway leading all batters going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Stephen Carmon (Camden, S.C./Camden), Aranas, Howard, Loker, and Vitko all went 2-for-5.
Furr led the way for Catawba at the plate going 3-for-5 with two runs scored while four other Indians garnered multiple hits in the contest.
Senior hurler Clayton Knight (Goose Creek, S.C./Limestone) suffered the loss on the hill for USC Aiken. He falls to 2-5 for the 2010 campaign.
Nick Lomascolo secured the win on the mound for Catawba in six innings of work. He improves to 7-2 for the season.
USC Aiken will now look to play in the 2010 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament held within the friendly confines of Roberto Hernandez Stadium next weekend on Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9. The fourth seed in the PBC East, USC Aiken will open the PBC Tournament against PBC regular season champion and West No. 1 seed Georgia College & State at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 8 at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
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