GREENWOOD – Cody McMorris, Ryne Salmon and Nick Aranas combined for 11 hits and 12 RBI, lead No. 11 ranked USC Aiken to a 24-4 Peach Belt Conference victory over the Lander Bearcats Friday night at Legion Field.
The Pacers (38-11, 15-7 Peach Belt) scored eight runs in the first inning, four in the second, and six more in the fifth and sixth innings. Aiken had 25 hits, including homers by Aranas and Chris Grandinetti.
Lander fell to 18-27, 6-16.
The teams will play a PBC double-header on Saturday, starting at 1 o'clock. It will be Lander's Senior Day.
Aiken batted around in the first inning, scoring its eight runs on eight hits and two walks. McMorris and Salmon led off the game with singles, Chad Jacobsen hit an RBI single, and Aranas belted a three-run homer.
After Gary Owens doubled and the next two walked, McMorris hit a three-run triple to make it 7-0. Jacobsen followed with an RBI single. McMorris, Salmon and Jacobsen had two hits apiece in the inning.
The Pacers upped their lead to 12-0 in the second on Gary Asbill's RBI single and Grandinetti's three-run homer.
Lander scored in the third on two walks and Brooks Arnette's two-out RBI single up the middle.
Aiken added six runs in the fifth on Salmon's two-run single, Ken Raborn's RBI ground out, Jamie Benjamin's sacrifice fly, and McMorris's infield hit.
The Pacers scored six more in the sixth on an RBI double by Aranas, a two-run double by Owens, and RBI singles by Salmon and Matt Montgomery.
Robert Skinner singled home a run in the seventh for Lander. The Bearcats added an unearned run in the eighth when TJ Guinan singled, stopped at second on AJ Nunziato's singled, and scored when Hunter Ruoss reached on an infield single that included a throwing error. Lander scored its final run in the ninth when Matt Titus was hit by a pitch, moved to third on Skinner's double off the left-field fence and scored on Justin King's ground out to first.
Aiken had seven players with multiple hits. McMorris went 4-for-6 with four runs scored and four RBI, Salmon was 4-for-6 with two runs and four RBI, Jacobsen was 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, Aranas went 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI, Owens was 4-for-5 with four runs and an RBI, Asbill went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI, and Grandinetti was 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.
Guinan, Nunziato and Skinner led the Bearcats at the plate with two hits apiece.
Scott Wandless (8-1) was the winning pitcher for Aiken, allowing one run on three hits while striking out seven and walking two in six innings of work. Terry Oldaker and Brett Godwin finished up for the Pacers.
Derek Whaley (3-3) took the loss for the Bearcats. Craig Roberson was Lander's most effective pitcher, tossing 3-1/3 innings of scoreless relief at the end of the game.
