AIKEN, S.C. | Conner Durden's one-out single with the bases loaded gave the University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team a 3-2 Peach Belt Conference victory over Young Harris College Friday (Feb. 24) evening at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

The Pacers, who are ranked No. 10 in the latest Collegiate Baseball national poll, improved to 10-2 overall and to 1-0 in the Peach Belt, while the Mountain Lions fell to 3-9 and 0-1. The teams will play the middle game of the three-game series Saturday (Feb. 25) at 2 p.m.

USC Aiken took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third innings. Durden drove in a run in the first on a single to left and Nile Goings added a home run in the third. 

It would stay that way until the ninth when the Mountain Lions knotted the score at 2 with a two-out rally. Cory Ewald drove in Zach Wall, who led off with a walk, with a double down the left field line and Jackson Jones followed with a RBI double to left-center field.

The Pacers rallied in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases off reliever Zach Hopkins (0-2) with no one out. After YHC got the next USCA batter to strike out, Durden singled a 3-2 offering off reliever Conor Casey to center field to drive in the winning run.

Mitch Spence (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Pacers. YHC starter Michael Livingston struck out eight in seven innings of work.  

Ewald led the Mountain Lion with two hits, while Odom and Jackson accounted for the other hits.