No. 6 USC Aiken Rallies Past Jaguars, 4-1

No. 6 USC Aiken Rallies Past Jaguars, 4-1

AUGUSTA, Ga. – No. 6 USC Aiken rallied past Augusta State Wednesday night to take a 4-1 final score in extra innings at Lake Olmstead Stadium in the first meeting of the Outback Cup.

The Pacers (26-5) placed men on the corners in the second inning and loaded them in the fifth, but ASU (10-22) starter Josh Barks (0-2) escaped both innings to allow no runs. Barks pitched his longest outing of the season in 8.0 innings, surrendering one run on 10 hits and striking out eight.

Ross Miles turned it on for the Jaguars with an RBI-double in the fifth to score Nate Crown for a 1-0 advantage. Barks got out of another jam in the sixth when he left two runners on base with a pop up and strikeout. In the top of the eighth, Ty Barkell stroked an RBI-double to right field to even the game at 1-all, but Barks left men on the corners with his eighth strikeout of the night.

Tyler Ross relieved Barks in the ninth to keep the tie game intact with a fly ball to left. In extra innings, Ross gave up a solo homer to Barkell, which brought in Clint Echols to the hill for ASU. Echols gave up an RBI-double to his first batter for a 3-1 Pacer lead. USCA compiled three runs on four hits in the 10th inning to take the night 4-1.

Ross (1-1) took the loss in 2.0 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, while Pacers hurler Taylor Grover (1-0) earned the win in 1.0 innings. Miles went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Jags, while Crown was 1-for-3 with a scored run. Barkell went 4-for-5 for USCA with two RBIs and run, while Josh Miller was 3-for-4 on the night.

ASU heads to Young Harris this weekend for a Peach Belt Conference series starting on Friday, March 29th.