Trojans Fan 16, Advance in Crossroads League Tournament
UPLAND, Ind. – The TU (36-16, 15-12 CL) pitching staff struck out 16 Indiana Wesleyan (21-29, 15-12 CL) batters on the way to a 6-4 victory in the opening round of the Crossroads League Tournament on Friday night.
As a group, the Taylor hurlers got the job done to take down the fourth-seeded Wildcats on Friday. After allowing four runs in the first four innings, TU relievers stepped up with five hitless frames to end the night.
Luke Shively got it started on the mound for the Trojans, striking out seven, while only allowing one earned run through 3.1 innings of work.
Entering in the fifth inning with two men on base with no outs, Mitch Ubelhor came up big for the Trojans for his second win of the season. The junior closed out the inning with three-consecutive strikeouts to oust the offensive momentum for the Wildcats.
Keeping the hitless streak going, Justin Pettit tossed the final three innings without much trouble. A walk in the final inning was the only runner allowed from the North Vernon, Indiana native, as he nabbed his first career save.
A first inning rally provided the majority of the scoring for TU, as the visiting team piled on four runs to open the contest. Wyatt Whitman and Christian McGill offered crucial hits to help plate multiple runners.
After a hot start, the Taylor bats cooled off, as the team went four-straight innings without a hit. During the tough stretch, Indiana Wesleyan fought back to even the game at four runs apiece.
The tide turned back in TU’s favor in the seventh inning, as TU’s leadoff man got on base by way of an error. A single and a sacrifice bunt followed to place baserunners on second and third with just one out. Breaking the tie, Brett Lawson smacked a ball through the infield for an RBI single to give the Trojans a 5-4 advantage. McGill capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to add an extra run to the team’s lead.
TJ Bass led the lineup with two hits and two runs scored on the night from the designated hitter spot.
The fifth-seeded Trojans will return to action at Winterholter Field in the Crossroads League Tournament on Saturday at 4:00 pm against eighth-seeded Grace (15-25, 10-17 CL).