AIKEN, S.C. -- A couple of early missed opportunities and some shaky defense came back to haunt the Railsplitters (0-1) in an 11-8 loss to the 14th-ranked USC Aiken Pacers (1-0) in the 2015 baseball season-opener on Friday afternoon in Aiken, S.C.
 
Lincoln Memorial loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first following a pair of Pacer mishaps and a walk issued to Jonathan Lowe (Sidney, Ohio), but Kelvin Brito (Yabucoa, Puerto Rico) popped up in the infield and Kyle Floyd (Windsor, Ill.) ground into an inning-ending double play to strand all three runners.
 
The Railsplitters were back in business in the top of the second, using back-to-back singles by Eric Kalman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa) to put runners on first and third with no outs. But USC Aiken starter and University of South Carolina transfer Forrest Koumas bore down, striking out the next three batters to end the threat.
 
While the Railsplitters let those early chances slip away, the Pacers took advantage of theirs. In the home half of the first, Kody Belcher singled and Tyler Moore walked to put two runners on, and that pair moved up a base with a double steal. Ty Barkell promptly dropped a bloop single into right-center field, scoring both runners.
 
USC Aiken went down in order in the second but exploded in the third frame, piling up five runs on two hits and two errors. Barkell drove in the first run with a single to left field, while Chaz Pal cleared the bases with a three-run triple into the right-center gap. Max Schoen was responsible for the fifth and final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly out, staking the Pacers to a 7-0 lead.
 
One big swing by third baseman Eric Kalman nearly undid all of that damage in the top of the fifth. Wes Neiderland (Thompson Station, Tenn.) and Scott Miller (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked to lead off the inning, and Lowe followed with an RBI single into center field, ending the Railsplitters' scoring drought. Brito singled in the next at-bat, chasing Koumas from the game. Reliever Matt Hissong was not granted a friendly entrance to the contest as he walked Floyd to send in another run and served up a grand slam to Kalman, bringing the Railsplitters to within one run at 7-6.
 
That was as close as the Railsplitters would get, though, as the Pacers tacked on three runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run double by Pal and an RBI single by Randy Luckett. Lincoln Memorial pulled back to within two on an RBI double from Neiderland and a sacrifice ground out from Miller in the top of the eighth, but the Pacers pushed the lead back to three with a tally in the home half of that frame.
 
James Lynch closed the door in the top of the ninth, sitting the Railsplitters down in 1-2-3 order.
 
The Railsplitters committed five errors in the contest, their most since faltering six times against Young Harris on March 19, 2014. It was only the third time in the past three seasons combined that the Railsplitters have recorded five errors or more.
 
Sophomore right-hander Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) was saddled with the loss for the Railsplitters after allowing six earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts in an even six innings pitched. Nick Morabito (Vienna, Va.) tossed two innings in relief of Jean, surrendering five hits and three earned runs over that span.
 
Kalman fronted an offensive unit that compiled 10 hits, as the Brooklyn, N.Y. native went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk in his debut with the Railsplitters. Freshman Logan Augustine went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, while Wes Neiderland was also 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. It was business as usual for Kelvin Brito, who went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
 
The Railsplitters dropped their fourth consecutive season-opener, falling to 1-11 against USC Aiken in the past 12 head-to-head meetings.
 
Barkell went 4-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Pacers, while Pal drove in five runs with two hits in four plate appearances. Reliever Matt Hissong picked up the win, improving to 1-0 on the season after tossing two innings and allowing two earned runs.
 
The Railsplitters and Pacers resume their three-game nonconference set on Saturday. First pitch in game two of the series is set for 1 p.m. at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.