AIKEN, S.C. - The 10th-ranked USC Aiken Pacers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to hold off Anderson, 8-7, in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

Anderson (9-22) suffered its eighth one-run loss of the season and has dropped three of its last four, while USC Aiken (20-6) has now won five straight.

With the Trojans clinging to a 7-6 lead heading into the eighth, the Pacers' Josh Miller led off with a single. Back-to-back bunt singles by Nick Aranas and Tyler Bourdo loaded the bases with no outs and Will Tankersley, who was hitless on the night, singled in two runs to give the Pacers their eventual one-run victory.

Trailing 5-3 going into the top of the fourth inning, Anderson erupted for four runs, courtesy of a walk, three consecutive singles and a clutch two-out RBI-double from catcher Brett Scarberry, as AU claimed a 7-5 lead.

The Pacers climbed within one after scoring a run in the fifth and neither team managed to score in either the sixth or seventh, setting up the late inning heroics.

Aiken's Abram Cartledge (2-0) earned the win, allowing one hit in four innings on the mound, while striking out three.

AU's Riley McDermott (0-4) took the loss in relief for Anderson after entering the contest in the eighth inning. The right-hander did not record an out and was charged with the final two Pacer runs. Freshman Landon Beck closed out the eighth for the Trojans.

USC Aiken out-hit Anderson, 15-10, in the game.

Freshman Brett Cash finished the night with two hits in five trips to the plate and scored twice, while senior Ryan Kirkland was 2-for-4 and scored once. Shortstop Thomas Padro notched a pair of singles in four at-bats, while Erick Sanderson was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Anderson will be back in action on Wednesday, as the Trojans travel to Due West for a mid-week showdown with archrival Erskine at 3 p.m.