AIKEN, S.C. – No. 29 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30) University of South Carolina Aiken sent nine men to the plate and scored five times in the first inning as it went on to defeat No. 23 Flagler College 8-2 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Saturday afternoon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

USC Aiken improved to 24-9 overall and 9-5 in the Peach Belt. Flagler fell to 21-14 overall and 9-5 in conference play.

After Flagler's Dylan Jones led off the game with a solo home run, the Pacers answered in the home half of the first inning.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Jonathan Banks singled to left to tie the game and Zach Moon followed with a two-run double to right-center. The next batter, Brian Parreira belted a two-run home run to cap the inning.

The Pacers added single tallies in the second, third and eighth innings.

USC Aiken's 6-8 hitters went 7-for-12 with four runs scored and five runs batted in.

Parreira went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs scored and three RBI. Moon hit two doubles, scored two runs and drove in two more. Daulton Weeks went 2-for-4 with a double. Jose Bonilla went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and he drove in a run.

Connor Riley (2-1) tossed five innings, scattered five hits, allowed two runs, walked three and fanned eight to earn the win. Nick Yobbi earned his second save of the season after tossing four scoreless innings in relief. He allowed three hits and struck out four.

Ethan Crout went 2-for-3 with a double for the Saints. Lorenzo Butler went 2-for-4 with a double.

Dustin Dye (2-4) tossed two-thirds of an inning, surrendered three hits and five runs. Nick Martinez and Luke Cooksey finished in relief. Cooksey tossed six innings and struck out seven.

The Saints stranded 11 base runners, five of which were in scoring position.

The two teams will play the final game of the series tomorrow (April 2) at 1 p.m.