FLORENCE, S.C.
-No. 15 Augusta State dropped its first game of the Peach
Belt Conference Tournament with a 5-4 loss to the USC Aiken Pacers
at Freedom Florence Park in Florence, S.C.
Augusta State is now 37-14 on the season, while the Pacers improved
to 21-21 overall.
USC Aiken jumped out early in the first inning when Lauren Locklear
reached on an error. Kelley King singled up the middle, advancing
Locklear to second. USC Aiken would take a 1-0 lead with single
from Blair Warren scoring Locklear.
USC Aiken added four more runs in the top of the fourth. Lindsey
Jones and Whitney Clary would both reach on errors. Brandy Bossle
singled to left field scoring Clary and Jones. The Pacers scored
two more runs and took the lead 5-0.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Jags added three runs with a
three-run homer from Leann Barber, knocking in Laura Brown and Beth Gerlach.
ASU would add one more run in bottom of the seventh with a single
from Brown scoring pinch-runner Trisha Barber. The Pacers held off
the Jags and posted a 5-4 victory over ASU.
ASU's Sara DeMuth (15-7) suffered the loss and lasted 3.2
innings as she allowed four runs all unearned on four hits Kimberly Kennedy relieved DeMuth in the fourth and gave up one unearned on
four hits in 3.1 innings of work.
Toni Flessate earned the win for the Pacers and improved to 13-9 on
the season. She allowed three earned runs on eight hits and had
four strikeouts.
Brown led the Jags with two hits and an RBI, while Barber had a
homer with three RBI. Kayla Hicks was 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
For USC Aiken, Locklear, King and Warren each had two hits on the
day with an RBI. Bossle had a hit with two RBI, while Kellie Hair
had a hit on the afternoon.
The Jaguars fell into the losers' bracket and are back in
action tonight at 6:30 p.m. to take on UNC Pembroke in one of the
two elimination games being held today at the Peach Belt Conference
Tournament.