ST. AUGUSTINE – Alex Mills' two-run double in USC Aiken's five-run eighth inning helped complete a late rally in a 9-5 win over Flagler College in a Peach Belt Conference Tournament Pool B game Saturday morning at Drysdale Field.
With the win, USC Aiken improved to 31-21 overall and 2-0 in the pool. Flagler dropped to 30-22 and 1-1 in pool play.
Both teams scored two runs apiece in the first inning, and the Saints took a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly in the second.
The Pacers regained the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth, but Flagler tied the game at 4 when
Aaron Anderson hit a double down the left field line to plate
Dillon Reed.
The Saints grabbed a 5-4 lead when
Sean Lawlor trotted home from third thanks to USCA Aiken reliever Austin Sandifer's pickoff attempt at first base, which was wild.
USCA Aiken erupted for five runs in the eighth. Luke Leisenring got the inning started with a single up the middle. He scored after back-to-back singles to tie the game. Mills followed with his two-run double to left-center and that gave the Pacers a 7-5 lead. Jackson Hannon added a two-run single two batters later.
Sandifer (5-0) picked up the win in relief. He tossed three scoreless innings and allowed three hits.
Hannon collected two singles, drove in two runs, and scored another. Chandler Rogers added two singles and scored a run. Joey Smithers also had two singles, but he scored two runs and drove in two more.
Ryan Ashworth (5-3) took the loss in relief for the Saints. He allowed four runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings of work.
Blair Calvo started and tossed 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts.
Dillon Reed finished with three singles, scored two runs, and had two stolen bases.
Flagler followed with the final game in pool pay, against Columbus State University, later.
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