Taylor Softball Sweeps Season Series with Saint Francis
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The TU softball team took home 7-4 and 9-2 victories at Saint Francis on Saturday, completing Taylor’s four-game sweep of the Cougars for the season, as the Trojans downed USF, 3-0 and 9-1, in the two games at Gudakunst Field on March 28.
Taylor was on the verge of run-ruling Saint Francis (15-21, 12-18 CL) in the opener, as the Trojans put up seven unanswered runs in the first five innings to take a 7-0 lead into the home-half of the fifth.
USF, however, tacked on four runs in the final three innings, including a pair of scores in the seventh, to make the 7-4 final tally.
Courtney Moriarty (9-6) threw five innings from the circle in the win, scattering four hits and surrendering just one run.
Game two started slowly, as neither squad cracked the scoreboard until the fifth inning, when TU put a single run on the board.
The Trojans led just 3-0 entering the seventh, but exploded for six insurance runs in their final time at the plate to inflate the lead to 9-0. Anna Gunderson singled on a bunt and Cassie Kuizin walked to put runners on first and second with one out, before Hannah Castor’s double brought them around to score the first two runs of the frame. Davis Carter followed with a single and Moriarty’s single in the next at-bat scored Castor from third. The next hitter, Lauren Ehle, doubled to left, scoring Moriarty and Carter. A sacrifice fly by Justice Carmichael plated Ehle for the ninth run of the ballgame.
The Cougars scored twice in the final half-inning, but never seriously threatened, securing the 9-2 victory for the Purple and Gold.
Senior Hannah Robbins (14-3) continued her recent run of success, winning her 10th-straight decision, while allowing only two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Alex Lovelace and Carter each collected three hits on the day to lead the Trojans, with Carter adding three runs scored and three RBI. Moriarty, Ehle and Carmichael each produced two hits apiece to the TU cause.
Taylor (31-14, 23-7 CL) will host a doubleheader with Bethel (2-39, 2-28 CL) on Tuesday at Gudakunst Field, looking to complete a second-straight season sweep, with the first pitch set for 5:00 pm