DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College softball team (2-10) lost both games of a doubleheader against the University of South Carolina at Aiken (13-7) at the Erskine Softball Complex on Wednesday afternoon. Game 1 required extra innings to determine a winner as the Pacers held off Erskine, 4-3 in eight innings before USC Aiken took down the Fleet, 7-3 in Game 2 of the doubleheader.
 
THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
THE SERIES
USC Aiken has now won 11 of the 16 all-time meetings with the Fleet.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME 1: USC Aiken 4-3 Erskine (Final / 8 innings)
In the bottom of the second inning, freshman Aly Salois launched a solo home run to open the scoring and give Erskine a 1-0 lead. But, a two-run home run in the next half inning from USC Aiken put them ahead, 2-1. The Pacers' lead was short-lived as Kyndall Chandler roped a line-drive solo home run down the right field line to tie the game at 2 after four innings. Kaley Ingle came on to pitch for Erskine in the fourth inning and held down the USC Aiken offense. Ingle put up four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight batters to send the game to extra innings. The Pacers began the eighth inning with back-to-back hits to regain the lead before a sacrifice fly put the Pacers ahead 4-2 going into the bottom half of the inning. Faith Belue and Hailey Patterson led off the frame with back-to-back singles as Patterson's knock cut the USC Aiken lead in half with Erskine threatening for more. The Fleet eventually loaded the bases but a pair of lineouts stranded the tying and winning runs in scoring position as USC Aiken edged the Fleet in Game 1, 4-3 in eight innings.

GAME 2: USC Aiken 7-3 Erskine
After Kali Morton worked around a two-out double in her first inning of work, the Erskine bats wasted no time jumping out to an early lead. Kelci Brown drew a leadoff walk and came around to score as Sydney McInnis followed with scorching low line drive into the right center field gap for an RBI double. But, the Pacers tied the game in the next half inning with an RBI single. It wasn't long until Erskine had regained its lead as the second batter of the bottom half of the inning for the Fleet, Payton Rabon, launched a solo home run. Erskine's lead did not last long, though, as a USC Aiken three-run home run put the Pacers ahead for the first time in Game 2, 4-2. Kyndall Chandler cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single to make it a 4-3 game. Mary Elizabeth Ballard came in out of the Fleet bullpen and kept Erskine within striking distance by putting up zeroes in the fourth and fifth innings. But, USC Aiken added to its lead in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly and scored two more runs in their half of the seventh to open up a four-run lead. Tori Cooley came off the bench to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and drew a walk before Belue poked a single the other way to start what looked to be a late rally for the Fleet, but it was for naught as USC Aiken took the back half of the doubleheader, 7-3.

THE PLAYER
Aly Salois went 2-for-4 at the plate in Game 1, including a towering solo home run to open the scoring in the bottom of the second inning for her first collegiate home run.
 
WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine is back in action at home on Saturday afternoon when they take on former conference foe, Limestone University (18-2, 2-0 SAC) for a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. The teams haven't met in Due West since April of 2015 where they split a doubleheader.

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