AIKEN, S.C. – A five-run sixth inning allowed USC Aiken to squeeze past Flagler College 11-8 in the opening game of a three-game Peach Belt Conference baseball series Friday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.
USC Aiken won its sixth game in a row and improved to 15-5 overall and 7-0 in the Peach Belt. Flagler is now 4-15 overall and 1-6 in conference play.
The Saints trailed 3-0 early, but
Simms Owens belted his first home run of the season, a three-run shot, to tie the game in the fourth.
Trey Newland's RBI single in the fifth gave Flagler a 4-3 lead. He drove in
Mason Gray who hit a double to center just before Newland's at bat.
The lead was short-lived as the Pacers plated two runs in the home-half of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead, but
Griffin Garcia's RBI single in the sixth tied the game at 5.
USC Aiken sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and scored five runs on three hits. Justin Byrd cleared the bases with a double to left field to give the Pacers a 10-5 lead.
The Saints tallied three runs in the seventh. Newland's single scored Gray and then
Donovan Garcia drove in Newland with a triple to center field. Garcia scored on a double play to cut the deficit to 10-8.
Austin Sandifer and Dylan Wilhelm kept the Saints off the board in the end as they tossed three scoreless innings. Wilhelm got his sixth save of the season after retiring the three batters he faced in the ninth. AJ Deibel (2-0) earned the win in relief despite allowing four runs on four hits in his one-plus innings pitched.
Tyler Littlefield led the 12-hit attack going 3-for-4 with a double, one run batted in, and he scored two runs. Byrd hit two doubles and drove in five runs.
Huston Wynne (0-1) took the loss for the Saints in relief. He allowed five runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Wynne walked two and hit a batter.
Gage Voorhees started and tossed five innings. He surrendered five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.
Newland collected two singles, scored a run and knocked in two more for the Saints.
The same two teams meet in a noon doubleheader tomorrow.
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