AIKEN, S.C. – The GRU Augusta Jaguars began a three-game Peach Belt Conference series with the USC Aiken Pacers on Friday afternoon and dropped game one 13-10 on Friday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium in a rainy slugfest.

GRU Augusta (14-21, 7-12 PBC) went down 8-0 after the second inning, but never quit to make it a two-run game at 13-10 in the eighth. After an hour rain delay in the top of the ninth inning, the comeback fell short.

USCA righty Forrest Koumas (5-2) started in game one of the series and got the win in 5.1 innings of action on the mound, while Jaguar sophomore Tristan Jones (1-6) tossed 3.1 innings and took the loss.

The Pacers (25-13, 14-11 PBC) started the day with two four-run innings in the first and second off 10 hits to build an 8-0 lead on the Jags. GRU junior Drew Taylor belted his eighth homerun of the season in the top of the fourth with a shot to left-center off the scoreboard to put the Jags on the board.

The Jaguars plated another in the top of the sixth inning after the Pacer shortstop let a groundball through his legs to score Clint Hardy, who reached on a standup double to left-center field.

GRU came alive for five in the seventh inning. Hunter Boose started it with a hit by pitch and Tyler Roberts put runners to second and third with a pinch-hit double. Chris Michals took full advantage of his pinch-hit opportunity and scored Boose on an opposite-field liner to right field. The fourth GRU pinch hitter of the inning, Andrew Gomez, also shined with an RBI-single to right – plating Roberts for a 12-4 game.

Taylor blasted his second homer of the game and his ninth of the year in the big seventh inning to score three runs. GRU combined for 14 hits to score 10 runs, but ultimately the early Aiken lead was too much. After the rain delay, the Pacers took the 13-10 win.

Taylor went 3-3 with four RBI and two scored runs, Nick Rau was 3-5 with two RBI, and Michals went 2-3 with two scored runs and an RBI.

The Jaguars play game two with the Pacers tomorrow, Saturday April 11 at 4:00 p.m. for nine innings back in Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

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