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ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University (18-17, 6-16 SAC) baseball team earned a 5-4 upset victory over No. 3 Catawba (26-7, 18-4 SAC) on Friday evening, using timely hitting and a standout performance on the mound from Kaleb Owens (Easley, S.C.) to secure the win.
Owens set the tone early, working around a pair of hits in the first inning before settling in. He faced traffic again in the second but kept Catawba off the scoreboard, stranding a runner after issuing his lone walk of the game.
Starting April off RIGHT💪
Trojans⚔️ beat #3 Catawba 5-4!!!
Solid pitching and timely hitting get the job done! @kalebowens_17 WIN 8.2 innings 3k’s @zacharius_10 2-4 2B 2RBI’s@DentonMyles 3-4@br00ksmaur0 2-3 RBI@AdamsFaucett 2-4 2B #Areté #TAKESONE pic.twitter.com/NjjlzPGjNa
— Anderson Baseball (@AUTrojansbsbl) April 4, 2026
Catawba broke through in the third inning with a two-out RBI single to take a 1-0 lead, but the Trojans responded immediately in the bottom half. Dom Bello (Orlando, Fla.) drew a walk and Adams Faucett (Spartanburg, S.C.) followed with a double down the right field line to put runners on second and third. Gray Wells (Chapin, S.C.) lifted a sacrifice fly to bring Bello home and even the score at 1-1.
Both teams were held in check in the fourth and fifth innings, with Owens continuing to pitch effectively. The right-hander worked efficiently through the middle frames, limiting hard contact and keeping the game tied.
Catawba regained the lead in the sixth inning on an RBI single, but once again Anderson answered. Zach Stover (Powdersville, S.C.) led off the bottom of the sixth with a double before Myles Denton (Brentwood, Tenn.) followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Brooks Mauro (Clemson, S.C.) delivered an RBI single to tie the game, and Levi Medford (Canton, N.C.) added a sacrifice fly to score Denton and give the Black and Gold a 3-2 advantage.
Good Friday Baseball ✝️⚾️
Trojans⚔️ square off against the Catawba Indians!
📊 https://t.co/aLSex9wUHt
💻 https://t.co/MXpaSHntFV#Areté pic.twitter.com/km8oqw6rzp— Anderson Baseball (@AUTrojansbsbl) April 3, 2026
Owens continued to deal into the seventh inning, retiring the side in order and maintaining the one-run lead.
The Trojans created separation in the seventh inning. Faucett singled to spark the rally, and Braeden Harrison (Spartanburg, S.C.) followed with a bunt single. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Stover came through with a two-run single to right field, extending the Anderson lead to 5-2. Denton added another single in the inning, and the Trojans loaded the bases, but Catawba escaped further damage.
Owens carried the game into the ninth inning, delivering one of his most complete outings of the season. The sophomore right-hander went 8.2 innings, allowing four runs on 11 hits while striking out three and walking just one. He consistently worked out of traffic and held Catawba to limited scoring opportunities through much of the game.
Catawba mounted a late push in the ninth, stringing together hits and a two-run double to cut the deficit to 5-4. With two outs and the tying run in scoring position, Luke Parson (Tampa, Fla.) entered in relief and recorded the final out to earn the save.
Offensively, Anderson totaled 10 hits, led by Denton’s three-hit performance. Stover drove in two runs, while Mauro and Medford each added an RBI. Faucett contributed a pair of hits and scored once as the Trojans capitalized on key opportunities throughout the middle innings.
Courtesy: autrojans.com
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