GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Behind a dominant effort on the mound, the Anderson University (8-3, 1-3 SAC) secured a 6-0 South Atlantic Conference victory over Tusculum (4-8, 0-4 SAC) on Friday evening at Pioneer Park.
Right-hander Kaleb Owens (Easley, S.C.) set the tone from the outset, delivering seven shutout innings to earn the win. Owens allowed just two hits, struck out 10 and did not issue a walk, facing only two batters over the minimum through the first five innings.
He worked around a pair of hit batters and erased any early threat in the fourth inning with back-to-back strikeouts after a balk moved runners into scoring position. Owens improved to 2-0 on the season with the outing.
Carson Roberts (Seneca, S.C.) closed the door over the final two frames, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Roberts faced seven batters and did not permit a walk, combining with Owens for 13 strikeouts in the three-hit shutout.
The Trojans (8-3, 1-3 SAC) provided all the run support the pitching staff would need with a five-run second inning.
Gray Wells (Chapin, S.C.) opened the frame with a double down the left-field line. After a single from Myles Denton (Brentwood, Tenn.) put runners at the corners, Dom Bello (Orlando, Fla.) delivered an RBI single to left-center to plate Wells for the game's first run. A fielder's choice moved Denton to third before Adams Faucett (Spartanburg, S.C.) singled to left, bringing Denton home to make it 2-0.
Riley Matthews (Waxhaw, N.C.) followed with a double into the left-center gap, driving in Zach Stover (Powdersville, S.C.) and pushing the lead to 3-0. Two batters later, Braeden Harrison (Spartanburg, S.C.) lined a single to right-center, scoring both Matthews and Faucett to cap the five-run outburst.
Anderson added an insurance run in the seventh. With the bases loaded after a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks, Faucett drew a walk to force in Levi Medford (Canton, N.C.) and extend the lead to 6-0.
Bello finished 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Harrison drove in two runs. Wells and Matthews each recorded doubles as part of the Trojans' eight-hit effort.
The Trojans and Pioneers wrap up their three-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, February 21, at 1:00 p.m.
