AIKEN, S.C. – After avenging an earlier loss to Albany State in their mid-week match-up, the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes were hoping to build on the positives of their thirteen-run win. GSW faced the #14 USC Aiken Pacers on Friday evening, and the Blue & Gold lost their earlier momentum dropping Friday's night's game 10-2.
The #14 ranked Pacers wasted no time putting up the game's first run after a leadoff single by Stephen Carmon. The USCA shortstop would advance to second on a wild pitch, steal third and then driven home by the next batter, catcher Josh Miller. Carmon's first run would be followed by a plethora of Aiken runs fueled by two GSW defensive errors. By inning's end the home team would already have a 5-0 lead over the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes looked to have an immediate answer in the top of the second inning. After Chase Young and Jarrod Taylor walks and a Corey Benson single, Georgia Southwestern would load the bases with no outs. Michael Sneed, Kyle Nobles and Michel Coffey would be retired in order neutralizing the Hurricane scoring threat.
GSW would threaten again in the third inning, and a Corey Benson two-out RBI single would get Coach McLain and company on the board. USC Aiken would answer the GSW third-inning run with one of their own. Freshman Will Tankersley would hit a triple to left field and was driven in by Ty Barkell to make it 6-1 Pacers. Aiken's one run in the third would be followed by another run in the fourth.
Benson would mimic his third-inning actions in the fifth when he would hit his second straight, two-out RBI single to cut the Pacer lead to 7-2. However, the Hurricanes would not come any closer than five runs from that point on.
Hurricane starter Matt Suggs would be knocked out of the game in the sixth inning. The sophomore would end the night with five and two-thirds innings pitched, giving up eleven hits and seven earned runs in the loss.
Senior Tyler Daniel would come on in relief of Suggs, and he finished the game throwing the seventh and eighth innings.
The Pacers would get to their final tally of ten runs via three Bill Gerstenslager RBI's including a two-run home run to right center field in the eighth inning. Aiken's two pitchers would also combine to strike out 16 GSW hitters.
Michael Coffey would finish the evening without a hit in his five at-bats and end his fourteen-game hitting streak. The Hurricane top hitter of the day would be Corey Benson. Benson would finish the night with three hits in four at-bats driving in both of GSW's runs. His two RBI's give the right fielder seven RBI's over his last two games.
The loss puts the Georgia Southwestern record at 4-20 (2-10 PBC). The Hurricanes will look to flip the script on #14 USC Aiken in their double header on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for noon at Roberto Hernandez Stadium in Aiken.