AIKEN, S.C. - The University of North Georgia baseball team's bats struggled to get going Friday night as they fell to USC Aiken, 8-2, in Peach Belt Conference play at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

After the Pacers pushed a run across in the second, the Nighthawks answered with a run in the third. Chase Sudduth tripled to center field, setting up a Conner Corbitt RBI single two batters later to tie the game at 1-1.

USC Aiken got the run back in the bottom of the frame with the first of two Jose Bonilla homers, making the score 2-1. The Pacers sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth inning as they put up three more runs to get to a 5-1 lead.

Conner Corbitt pushed another run across on an error by the Pacer third baseman to cut the lead to three, but a three-run homer by Bonilla in the bottom of the inning brought the game to its final score.

NOTES
- Sudduth led the Nighthawks at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple. The Nighthawks' lineup had just four hits combined.

- Cade Heil (2-3) was tabbed with the loss, going 5+ innings with five Pacer runs off seven hits. The freshman struck out five and walked just one.

- UNG struck out 20 times at the plate as the Pacer pitching staff controlled the game. USCA starter Zach Refuse fanned 14 batters in his seven innings.

NEXT UP
The two teams will meet again tomorrow with first pitch set for 2 p.m.