AIKEN --- USC Aiken baseball coach Kenny Thomas wanted to make it clear Thursday afternoon -- he's sorry.

Sorry for the blown lead. Sorry for the mental mistakes. Sorry for the seven unearned runs his team allowed.

He said it's his fault for not preparing the Pacers during the team's 12-day layoff from the regular season to its Peach Belt Conference Tournament first-round loss to Georgia College & State at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.

"I apologize to the university. I apologize to the fans. I apologize to everybody here, because it's totally my fault," Thomas said. "I take 100 percent full blame for it."

USC Aiken committed four errors and left 13 men on base in a 12-8 loss to the Bobcats.

"If there was anything else we could possibly do to give them (the) game, please tell me," Pacers second baseman Ken Raborn said. "It was just a poor performance, big time."

The 10th-ranked Pacers (43-14) fall into the losers' bracket and will play Armstrong Atlantic State at 7 tonight in an elimination game. Georgia College & State (33-22) will play North Georgia at 11 a.m.

USC Aiken found itself with an opportunity to overcome its shoddy play, down one run entering the ninth inning. But disaster struck again.

Georgia College & State loaded the bases with two outs. Richard Pirkle, who reached on a throwing error, took off from second, while Matt Pitts wandered off first base. USC Aiken catcher John Sherrer bounced a throw to first and Chad Jacobsen started a pickoff attempt of Pitts. In the meantime, Pete Paris left third and beat the throw home. Chandler Snell then followed with a two-run single through the right side to expand the lead to four.

"We just got caught with our pants down," Thomas said. "You've got two guys standing on third base. Gosh, let's tag one of them. Tag 'em both and they'll call one of them out and the inning's over."

The play typified the afternoon, one in which USC Aiken blew a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning.

The Columbia County tandem of third baseman Brooks Robinson (Greenbrier) and center fielder Sean Harrell (Lakeside) combined to go 6-for-10 with five RBI and three runs. Robinson went 3-for-6 with two doubles, while Harrell went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI.

Relief pitcher Michael Newman, also of Greenbrier, went 2w innings to notch his 10th save of the season.

Newman allowed two earned runs on four hits but forced Jacobsen, the Peach Belt Player of the Year, to hit into the game-ending double play.

Jacobsen went 1-for-3 batting, including his 21st homer of the year, with two walks. Nick Aranas led USC Aiken with a 3-for-4 performance. David Vitko and Raborn, an Evans alum, each hit a home run.

USC Aiken starter Scott Wandless, a Greenbrier alum, couldn't have had worse luck.

In six innings, Wandless allowed nine runs, five of them earned. He also struck out seven and walked none.

Wandless took a 5-1 lead into the fifth inning when the trouble began. Leadoff hitter Chandler Harris reached on third baseman Aranas' error. Nathan Martin followed with a sacrifice bat, but Wandless' errant throw put runners at second and third.

The Bobcats proceeded to score three runs. They then added another on right fielder Gary Owens' error. Georgia College & State tied the game at 5.

"We knew we were getting a couple of good breaks on offense and we were swinging the bats well," Robinson said.

The following inning, Pitts stole second on a controversial call at the bag with two outs. The Bobcats followed with four runs.

"We had no emotion today," Thomas said. "We were flat. I think most of them were sleeping.

"I really think our guys thought they could show up and win."