AIKEN, S.C. – Joseph Benitez (6-2) tossed an eight-hit shutout as No. 29 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30) University of South Carolina Aiken defeated No. 23 Flagler College 5-0 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Friday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

The Pacers improved to 23-9 overall and 8-5 in the Peach Belt. USC Aiken also ran its record at home to 16-2. Flagler fell to 21-13 overall and 9-4 in conference play. The loss snapped a string of 11 consecutive wins on a Friday by the Saints. The last loss on a Friday came on April 1, 2016 against Augusta University.

Benitez scattered six hits and fanned eight in the complete game victory. He retired nine batters on fly outs and another nine on ground outs. He retired 18-of-20 batters from the end of the second inning to the ninth. Fifteen of those batters were set down in a row.

A pair of run-scoring singles in the fourth by Brian Parreira and Daulton Weeks broke the scoreless tie.

Zach Moon hit a double to right-center in the sixth and Parreira followed with a double to the same gap to give the Pacers a 3-0 lead.

That hit chased Flagler starter Michael Maiocco (7-2), the PBC's Pitcher of the Week. Maiocco tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowed eight hits and four runs. He struck out five batters.

Weeks greeted reliever Ethan Jones with a single to center, which plated Parreira. Weeks went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in.  

Nile Goings hit a solo home run in the seventh.

Dylan Jones, Ethan Crout, Jason Moore, Igor Baez, Cole Ondrejka and Ja'Kobi Dasher all hit one single apiece.

Only two Saints reached scoring position in the game.

The same two teams meet tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Aiken.