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BASEBALL NEWS |
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Sports Release February 1, 2008 USC Aiken Takes Game One Against LMU 10-4 AIKEN, SC-- Chad Jacobsen smacked a grand slam, driving in five on the night, while four more Pacers had multi-hit performances as #31 USC Aiken (1-0) knocked off Lincoln Memorial (0-1) 10-4 in both team’s season openers on a chilly Friday at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. For the Pacers it was their seventh victory in the past nine lid-lifters while exacting some revenge from the Railsplitters’ 10-0 upset in the 2007 debut. The Pacers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Cody McMorris doubled down the right field line in his first Pacer at-bat. David Vitko followed up with a single through the left side before Jacobsen belted an RBI double to the wall in right field. Gary Owens, another of USC Aiken’s three new outfielders in 2008, singled to left field, plating a pair to make it 3-0. Senior Matt Montgomery closed out the scoring in the first frame with an RBI single, again through the left side, driving in Owens. McMorris finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three stolen bases. Owens went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Lincoln Memorial wasted little time in answering back with an RBI double in the second off the bat of Eric Kitts and a groundout by Tommy Casto that scored Jason Pabon, who also doubled in the inning, to slice the deficit to 4-2. Casto tallied two of the Railsplitters four RBI while Pabon finished 3-for-4 with two doubles. Senior hurler Scott Wandless settled in after that, striking out five of the next six batters he faced. Tossing 52 of his 74 pitches for strikes, Wandless (1-0) allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks, fanning seven in 5.0 innings of work. Matt Key led off the home half of the fourth with an infield bunt single, then advanced to third on a two-base throwing error by third baseman Casey Sedley. John Sherrer’s ground out to shortstop then plated Key and made it 5-2. Key finished 3-for-4 while Sherrer was 2-for-4 with two RBI. A Casto sacrifice fly in the eighth drew the Railsplitters within 5-3, but USC Aiken responded with a five-run bottom of the inning capped by Jacobsen’s two-out, grand slam to straight-away center field. Mitch Kramer (0-1) let up five runs, three earned, on eight hits and one walk, striking out five in 5.0 innings of work for LMU. USC Aiken and Lincoln Memorial will return to action tomorrow at 1:00 PM at Roberto Hernandez Stadium. -LMU- For additional
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