Baseball Sweeps Opening Doubleheader With #6 USC Aiken

AIKEN, SC -- The LMU baseball team opened up their season by taking both games of a double-header at sixth-ranked USC Aiken Saturday.  They took the first game 10-3 and won the second 4-3.

LMU (2-0) and USC Aiken (0-2) meet Sunday in a single contest.

Game one: LMU 10, #6 USC Aiken 3
The Railsplitters exploded out to a 7-0 lead before the Pacers could answer back with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning. LMU then added runs in the seventh and ninth innings to pull out the 10-3 season-opening win.

It only took three batters to get the Railsplitters on the board in the first inning.  Cody Baker was the first to score as he came in from third base on a single to shortstop by Cody Pack. A Pacer error later brought in Isaac Edmonds and loaded the bases.  Then Juan Alvarez was walked, allowing Pack to score to put LMU up 3-0.

In the top of the third Shane Kaufman scored off a single up the middle by J.R. Roden.  Later in the inning Alvarez scored off a sacrifice fly by Ben Adleburg.

The next inning saw the Railsplitters pick up another run as a sacrifice fly by Pack scored Edmonds.

Adleburg got in on the scoring action in the sixth as he crossed the plate on a triple by Edmonds.

Aiken stopped the bleeding for the Pacers in the bottom of the sixth as Nick Aranas hit a home run to right center to cut the lead to 7-1.

LMU responded in the seventh with Kaufman scoring on a balk by USCA pitcher Tyler Stephan.

Following a LMU pitching change,the Pacers to pick up two runs in the eighth as Aranas hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded that allowed Stephen Carmon to cross the plate.  Later, Josh Attaway would score from third when Travis Howard singled to left center.

Roden and Kaufman would score on an USCA error in the top of the ninth to shut the door on the Pacers and give the Railsplitters the 10-3 victory. 

Edmonds led LMU at the plate, going 2-3 for the game with a triple and an RBI.  Pack went 1-3 with two RBI and Alvarez and Adleburg each went 1-3 with an RBI in the win.

Steven Starbird picked up his first win of the year, going a full seven innings while giving up five hits, one earned run and an unearned run while striking out five batters.

Lincoln Memorial 10, USC Aiken 3
(Feb 06, 2010 at Aiken, SC) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lincoln Memorial....  302 101 102  -  10  10  3      (1-0)
USC Aiken.............  000 001 020  -  3    8    2      (0-1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Lincoln Memorial - Steven Starbird; Cody Church(8); Ray Burchell(8) and J.R. Roden.
USC Aiken - Steven Spire; Tyler Stephan(3); Joe Tart(8) and Gary Asbill.
Win-Steven Starbird(1-0)  Loss-Steven Spire(0-1)  T-2:56  A-483
HR USCA - Nick Aranas (1).
Weather: Cold and Breezy
Spire faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
Stephan faced 1 batter in the 8th.
FULL BOX SCORE

Game two: LMU 4, USC Aiken 3
The Pacers took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  The Railsplitters then answered with three runs of their own in the top of the fourth.  USCA tied the game in the bottom of that inning but LMU got a go-ahead run in the top of the seventh and held on for the 4-3 win.

A single from Josh Attaway followed by a two-run homer from J.J. Loker got things going for the Pacers in the first inning as they took the 2-0 lead.

A Railsplitter single, a player hit by a pitch and an Aiken error loaded up the bases in the top of the fourth when Gelson Perez hit an infield single that scored Juan Alvarez from third. Later, Isaac Edmonds hit a two-RBI single to right field that scored Ben Adleburg and Nick Langley to give LMU the 3-2 lead.

The Pacers knotted the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth when Loker scored again off a fielders choice from Nick Aranas.  

LMU scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh as a Langley single brought Eric Kitts across the plate.

The Railsplitters were led by Edmonds, who went 2-4 for the game with 2 RBI. 

Garrett Copeland took the win, pitching 2.2 innings after relieving starter Austin Johnson in the bottom of the sixth inning and only giving up two hits.  Ray Burchell took over in the top of the eighth, going 1.1 innings and picking up his first save of the year.

Lincoln Memorial 4, USC Aiken 3
(Feb 06, 2010 at Aiken, SC) (Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lincoln Memorial....  000 300 100  -  4  9  1      (2-0)
USC Aiken.............  200 100 000  -  3  9  1      (0-2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Lincoln Memorial - Austin Johnson; Garrett Copeland(6); Ray Burchell(8) and
Nick Langley; J.R. Roden. USC Aiken - Clayton Knight; Thomas McLeod(6) and Kyle Rice;
Gary Asbill.
Win-Garrett Copeland(1-0)  Save-Ray Burchell(1)  Loss-Thomas McLeod(0-1)  T-2:45  A-428
HR USCA - JJ Loker (1).
Weather: Breezy and Cold
FULL BOX SCORE

Which fall sport are you looking forward to the most?