No. 10 Trojans Execute in the Clutch for Crucial Series Split

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – After showing its teeth with a 12-1 win in Friday's opener, the No. 10 Taylor baseball team (30-7, 21-3 CL) saw its players pick each other up in critical spots of the series finale to hold on for a 5-3 victory and earn a crucial Crossroads League series split with Saint Francis (18-18, 15-9).

Bouncing back from being swept in Thursday's doubleheader, TU took care of business Friday morning by scoring 12 unanswered runs after falling behind 1-0 in the first inning. The Purple and Grey were led at the plate by corner outfielders Nate Simpson and Brayden Manning, and on the rubber by Wes Hunt (3-2) and Conner Miller.

The Trojans faced adversity in the nightcap, however, trailing 3-1 through two frames.

TU put the first run on the board in the finale on a single from Manning, but the visitors surely hoped for more production after starting the frame with two runners aboard and no outs.

USF took its 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the second, and Taylor was staring at the same deficit in the third when it had bases loaded, two outs and Ben Kennedy in the batter's box.

Kennedy drew a walk to make it 3-2 and prompt a pitching change, as Rylee Singleton was called upon for Taylor to deliver as a pinch-hitter.

The sophomore Singleton came through, poking a two-run single into right field to give the Trojans a 4-3 edge.

The one-run game held into the bottom of the fifth inning, when the host-Cougars were able to make some noise for the first time against Nathan Frady with two men on and one away.

Head coach Kyle Gould turned to Miller and his sub-0.70 ERA to make his critical, team-high 18th pitching appearance of the season. Miller did his part retiring the only batter he faced, and fellow senior Dalton Swinehart was tasked with finishing the job.

Swinehart got the inning-ending strikeout to extinguish the Saint Francis threat, and his effort was further rewarded when Luke Sutter plated Kennedy with a pinch-hit, RBI-single to center in the sixth that made it 5-3, TU.

Swinehart also worked a clean bottom of the sixth before giving way to Jake Boyer for the save opportunity in the seventh. Boyer sent USF down in order, striking out the final two batters for his third save of the season.

While several arms came through in the clutch, Frady (2-0) earned the win in the finale for his three innings with no earned runs allowed, which included limiting the damage in the second frame by striking out a pair to leave a runner at third base.

In game three of the series, Hunt posted a five-inning start with four strikeouts, no walks and just the one early run surrendered. Miller closed the contest with two scoreless frames where he collected three strikeouts.

Fletcher Roemmich laced a single to left to drive in the tying run in the second inning, but the Trojans were held in check as the game entered the fifth frame with the teams knotted, 1-1.

Aided by an extra out and free passes, Kaleb Kolpien, Manning, Roemmich and Mason David each landed base hits as TU notched a seven-run fifth inning to go ahead, 8-1.

Simpson put Taylor in position for a run-rule win with a bases-clearing double in the top of the seventh inning, later scoring himself on a balk as the Trojans cruised to a 12-1 victory.

No. 10 TU returns to Winterholter Field to face Goshen (5-25, 4-18 CL) on Friday, April 11, holding a four-game lead in the Crossroads League standings with three series to play. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m.