LOUISVILLE — Owensboro Catholic battled early but couldn’t keep pace with St. Xavier as the Tigers pulled away for a 10–2 win Friday night.

St. Xavier struck first in the bottom of the second inning when White delivered an RBI single to bring home the game’s first run. Owensboro Catholic answered in the fourth. After M. Grant reached base and moved into scoring position, J. White ripped a double down the left-field line to tie the game at 1–1.

The Tigers quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning. Hagan doubled to left field to score a run and give St. Xavier a 2–1 advantage. From there, St. Xavier gradually extended the lead with a combination of timely hitting and aggressive base running.

St. Xavier finished with 12 hits and swiped 11 bases in the game. Benefield drove in two runs while going 2-for-5 at the plate. Clevenger, White, Coomer, and Benefield each collected two hits for the Tigers.

Owensboro Catholic generated several scoring opportunities but was limited to two runs. White led the Aces at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double and two stolen bases. Grant added an RBI, and the Aces stole four bases as a team.

On the mound, B. Evans started for Owensboro Catholic, allowing one run on three hits over two innings while striking out one. Holmes earned the win for St. Xavier, pitching deep into the game while recording 10 strikeouts.

St. Xavier also showed discipline at the plate, drawing nine walks while committing no errors defensively.

Owensboro Catholic will look to bounce back Saturday when the Aces travel to face Trinity.