AIKEN, S.C. -- USC Aiken's Zach Moon hit a pair of two-run home runs to lead the Pacers (1-0) past the Railsplitters (0-1) 8-2 in the 2016 season opener on Friday evening at Roberto Hernandez Stadium in Aiken, S.C.
 
With the loss, Lincoln Memorial drops its season opener for the fourth consecutive year and falls to 14-34 all-time against the Pacers in the first of a three-game series in the Palmetto State.
 
Four different Pacer pitchers combined to keep the Railsplitters' offense quiet. Brooks Calvo made the start, allowing four hits and one unearned run over four innings. Erik Davis picked up the win after coming on in relief in the top of the fifth, as he struck out six and surrendered one unearned run over three innings. Joe Marlow and Nick Jobst then completed the victory with scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
 
Lincoln Memorial freshmen shortstop Seth Hunt (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomore outfielder Mason Ewers (Kingsport, Tenn.) combined to go 4-for-6 at the plate with four singles and two walks, while the remainder of the Railsplitter offense was just 4-for-28 with 10 strikeouts.
 
USC Aiken struck first in the bottom of the second after Jonathan Banks singled and later scored on a wild pitch. But the Railsplitters drew back even in the top of the fourth, when Ewers sparked a two-out rally with a single to center field and scored on an error two batters later.
 
Moon then accounted for the next four runs for the Pacers, hammering a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth and another two-run blast in the bottom of the sixth to put USC Aiken ahead 5-1.
 
The Railsplitters got a run back in the top of the seventh on a two-out, RBI single by Logan Augustine (Urbandale, Iowa), but the Pacers plated three runs in the bottom of that inning to put Lincoln Memorial in a six-run hole with six outs left.
 
Ewers drew a walk in the top of the eighth and Timmy Wages (Moline, Iowa) notched a pitch-hit single in the ninth, but the Railsplitters came up empty in both innings.
 
Junior right-hander Brandon Jean (Franklin, Tenn.) went five innings on the bump for the Railsplitters, striking out four while allowing six hits and four runs in the loss. Cody Hinson (Taylor Ridge, Ill.) served up three runs on three hits over 1.1 innings in his debut for the Blue and Gray. Jake Watkins (Powder Springs, Ga.) was flawless in his one relief inning, striking out two without a hit allowed.
 
Brian Parreira and Skylar Mercado led the Pacers with three hits apiece.
 
Game two of the three-game set gets underway at 2 p.m. on Saturday back at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.