ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University Trojans jumped out to an early lead but were unable to hold off a late surge from Carson-Newman, falling 8-5 on Friday evening at Anderson Memorial Stadium. Despite a strong start, Anderson now sits at 17-11 overall and 6-7 in South Atlantic Conference play.
Trojans came out swinging in the first inning, putting up four quick runs.
Braeden Harrison got things started with a lead off single, followed by a double from
Zach Stover to put runners at second and third.
Dom Bello plated the first run with an RBI single, and
Brooks Mauro followed with a double down the left-field line to drive in another.
Ben Bullard then grounded out to first, allowing another run to score, before
Kyle Caccamise capped off the inning with a triple to deep right-center, giving Anderson a commanding 4-0 lead.
Carson-Newman chipped away at the lead, scoring one in the second on an RBI single and another in the third on a wild pitch to make it 4-2. Anderson's offense was quiet for the middle innings, as the Trojans struggled against Carson-Newman reliever Xavier Hart.
The Eagles delivered a devastating four-run seventh inning to take control of the game. A two-run double by Logan Floyd tied the game at 4-4, followed by an RBI triple from Tanner Kilgore to put Carson-Newman ahead. A sacrifice fly brought home another run, giving the Eagles a 6-4 advantage.
Carson-Newman tacked on insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings, including a solo home run from Aiden Gibson to extend their lead to 8-4. Anderson tried to rally in the ninth when
Kyle Caccamise singled and
Brayden Owens doubled to put runners in scoring position.
Carson Molinaroli drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, but the rally fell short as the Trojans were unable to push across any more runs.
Walker Noland (5-2) took the loss despite a strong start, allowing six runs (five earned) over six innings while striking out four.
Corben Childers pitched three innings in relief, surrendering two runs while striking out three.
Despite the loss, Anderson's offense collected 10 hits, including multi-hit performances from Harrison, Bullard, and Caccamise. The Trojans will look to bounce back tomorrow as they wrap up the conference series with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.
