AIKEN – Three home runs by No. 22 USC Aiken and a four-run sixth inning highlighted by a bases-clearing double with two outs, lifted the Pacers to a win over Newberry Wednesday night in Aiken.

Newberry (28-19) trailed the Pacers (31-11) 6-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning following left fielder Mitchell Price’s solo shot the previous frame that broke a 5-all tie. Third baseman Daulton Weeks led off the inning with a home run to double the lead. The inning was extended by a Newberry error before catcher Brian Parreira doubled to center field on the first pitch to score three unearned runs.

Parreira had the most impressive day of any batter at the plate, going 3-for-4 with six RBI’s and a run scored. He had a two-run homer in the first inning that tied the game at three runs apiece and added an RBI double in the third.

The Wolves outhit USC Aiken 14-13 in the contest, but collected just two hits over the final four innings as the Pacers’ bullpen stymied the Newberry bats. A collection of five USC Aiken pitchers saw action, none of whom issued a walk to Newberry hitters. William Ard improved his record to 5-1 on the season with 2.0 innings of work in relief, allowing a run on three hits.

Newberry had four players finish with multiple hits in the contest, paced by three hits each from Danton Hyman, Jeff Sneed, and Tommy Passerello. Trejon Smith was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and two RBI’s, both of which came on his second home run of the season.

Smith’s blast came in a three-run first inning for the Wolves. Daymon Totherow hit an RBI single in the infield that scored Hyman and advanced to second on an error two pitches prior to Smith’s home run. But the Pacers retied the game in their half of the first that included Parreira’s home run off the top of the foul pole in right field.

The teams traded runs from the second through fifth innings before USC Aiken pulled away in the sixth. Newberry got an unearned run in the seventh but could come no closer.

Robert Westenrieder took the loss after allowing a run on three hits in 2.1 innings of work. His record now stands at 2-1 on the season. Five Newberry hurlers saw action in relief of Christian Zellner.

The loss is Newberry’s fifth in a row after winning 16 of 18 games over the previous month. The Wolves play host to Lenoir-Rhyne in a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader this weekend. First pitch from the Smith Road Complex is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Friday evening.