TU Survives and Advances Behind Holcomb’s Start, Sutter’s Big Swing
UPLAND, Ind. – The 18th-ranked Taylor baseball team got a huge pick-me-up from its pitching staff and used several big swings to win 6-1 and advance in the Crossroads League Tournament over cross-county rival, RV Indiana Wesleyan (34-15) on Saturday afternoon.
Taylor sent reliable right-hander Alec Holcomb to the hill, and the senior provided a gem in his 5.1 innings where he struck out seven and allowed just one run against the Wildcats lineup.
Holcomb allowed a leadoff single to open the game, but that was erased by Caruso throwing out his 22nd runner of the season for the third out.
The Trojans got on the board in the second inning with a line drive homer to left from Brayden Manning. Brennan Frickel doubled in the very next at-bat, and Ben Kennedy later brought him home on an RBI groundout.
The two teams traded runs in the fourth frame to make it 3-1, as Frickel delivered a no-doubt solo shot in the bottom of the inning.
After a scoreless fifth, Holcomb (9-2) notched his seventh strikeout of the day in the sixth inning before runners got on the corners to force a pitching change. Coming on in relief for the second time in the tournament, Jake Boyer stranded the two runners with a pair of looking strikeouts that preserved TU’s 3-1 lead.
Taylor generated its own baserunning traffic in the seventh frame, and Luke Sutter cashed in with a massive pinch-hit, three-run home run for his first collegiate long ball.
Matt Dutkowski closed the door for the Trojans in the final two innings with some help from Camden Knepp, who made a highlight-reel catch at the right-center field fence to open the eighth frame.
No. 18 TU (39-14) plays its second game on Saturday, May 4, at 6 p.m. versus Saint Francis (36-15) for a chance to play in the Crossroads League Tournament Championship on Monday evening at 6 p.m.