Pacers Soar Past Falcons on Sunday to Complete PBC Series Sweep
MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The 21st-ranked USC Aiken baseball team
completed a three-game Peach Belt Conference series sweep of league
newcomer Montevallo with a dominating 15-4 victory over the Falcons
on Sunday afternoon at Kermit A. Johnson Stadium.
The three-game sweep of the Falcons improves the nationally-ranked
Pacers to 3-0 in the PBC in the 2010 season. USC Aiken is now 8-6
overall. The Pacers, who have won five in a row, outscored the
Falcons 32-15 in the three-game set.
Montevallo fell to 6-11 (0-3) on the year with the three losses to
the defending Peach Belt Conference champion Pacers over the course
of the weekend.
Montevallo opened the game by taking an early 2-0 lead. The Falcons
garnered a run each in the bottom of the first and second innings
to take the two-run lead.
In the first inning, Josh Dabbs singled through the right side to
bring in Duston Daugherty, who had been walked to open the game. In
the second, Andrew Hill took advantage of two Pacer miscues in the
inning to score the second run of the game.
In the top of the third inning, USC Aiken shortstop Stephen Carmon
(Camden, S.C./Camden) made amends for his error in the bottom of
the second by hitting a home run to right field to pull the Pacers
back within one at 2-1. Travis Howard (Bonneau, S.C./USC
Salkehatchie) then pulled the Pacers back even at 2-2 by bringing
in Alex Franklin (North Augusta, S.C./North Augusta) a few batters
later.
The complexion of the game changed completely in the top of the
fourth inning with the Pacers posting a 10-spot in the frame to
take a commanding 12-2 lead.
Noah Wethington (Rock Island, Ill./Blackhawk College) got things
rolling for the Pacers in the frame by tripling to right center
field. Jowan Gray (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken) singled in Wethington
to give the Pacers their first lead of the game at 3-2.
A couple batters later, the bases were juiced for the Pacers and
after a wild pitch from Montevallo starting pitcher John Michael
Caraway, USC Aiken's Gary Asbill (Batesburg,
S.C./Batesburg-Leesville) scored to extend the lead to two runs at
4-2.
Caraway then walked David Vitko (Columbiana, Ohio/Youngstown State)
to leave the bases jammed once again with Pacer crusher Bill Rice
(Sewell, N.J./Gloucester County College) at the dish. As has been
the case for the majority of the young season, Rice delivered at
the plate by blasting a grand slam that earned the Pacers an 8-2
lead.
After two single runs to make it 10-2, Gray added his second and
third RBIs of the frame by hitting a two-run jack that scored
himself and Wethington and placed the Pacers ahead 12-2.
USC Aiken added three more in the top of the fifth to own a 15-2
lead. Howard closed out the scoring in the inning by singling in
Rice and Vitko for the final two runs of the inning.
The Falcons would earn two runs back, but it would not be nearly
enough in the 11-run Pacer victory.
Pacer starting pitcher Steven Spire (Swansea, S.C./Swansea) picked
up his first win of the year for the Pacers in the dominating win
over the Falcons. Spire is now 1-1 on the 2010 season. Spire dealt
the first six innings in the game for the Pacers, striking out one.
He allowed just five hits and one earned run.
Caraway (1-2) suffered the loss on the mound for the Falcons.
Caraway pitched the first 3.1 innings for Montevallo, allowing 11
earned runs on nine Pacer hits.
USC Aiken concluded the game with 14 total hits with four Pacers
recording multiple hits.
Howard was the only Pacer to secure three hits. He was 3-for-5 with
three RBIs and one run scored in the contest.
Rice led the Pacers in their resounding victory with four RBIs. He
along with Gray and Wethington all finished with two hits. Rice had
four RBIs in the victory, while Gray added three of his
own.
Chris Sosebee was the only Falcon to acquire multiple hits with the
first baseman ending the Montevallo loss with two hits.
USC Aiken returns home next for the first of two Outback Cup games
with rival Augusta State. The Pacers and Jaguars will take the
field against one another at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2 at Roberto
Hernandez Stadium. The Pacers claimed the inaugural Outback Cup
last year.
The second game of the 2010 Outback Cup will be at 6:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, March 23 in Augusta, Ga.
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