Defensive Miscues Haunt Trojans in Losses to HU

by | Apr 23, 2017 | Headlines, RRSN News | 0 comments

Defensive Miscues Haunt Trojans in Losses to HU

 

UPLAND, Ind. – One day after allowing eight unearned runs in a series-opening setback to No. 24 Huntington, the defense continued to betray Taylor with eight more errors that led to seven unearned runs for the Foresters in a doubleheader sweep of TU on Saturday.

 

Taylor allowed only two earned runs in Saturday’s twinbill, but lost 5-3 and 4-1 due to the poor defensive play that squandered a pair of strong starts on the bump from Matt Patton and Luke Hunter.

 

Patton held No. 24 Huntington (27-8, 20-3 CL) without an earned run in his 5.2 innings of work during game one, but departed with the game locked at 2-2. Patton surrendered five hits and fanned five, while using 76 pitches to collect 17 outs.

 

Hunter was equally as impressive in his game-two start, needing only 67 pitches to complete five innings and striking out five. Hunter yielded three hits and did not walk a batter or allow an earned run, but left the game facing a 3-0 deficit in the eventual 4-1 loss.

 

The Trojans committed five errors in the opener and gave HU unearned runs in each of the first two frames to fall into an early 2-0 deficit. A two-out knock by Christian McGill in the second drew TU even at 2-2 but two more errors led to a seventh-inning score for the Foresters.

 

TU once again battled back, getting back-to-back doubles with two outs in the bottom of the seventh from Jared Adkins and Tanner Watson to draw even at 3-3 and force extra innings, but Taylor’s fifth error of the game led to a third unearned run in the eighth and Taylor fell by the 5-3 margin.

 

It was more of the same in the second contest, as all four of Huntington’s runs were unearned and HU finished off the three-game sweep with a 4-1 decision.

 

The Taylor bats also struggled in the weekend series against the HU pitching, managing only two extra-base hits and four runs total during Saturday’s action. Watson and Adkins collected both extra-base knocks in consecutive at bats during the seventh-inning rally of the opener.

 

Watson ended four-of-eight at the plate on the afternoon, while Andrew Kennedy went three-of-seven, as the duo combined for seven of TU’s 11 hits in the doubleheader.

 

Taylor (29-18, 17-7 CL) will play two games at Lourdes (8-31, 4-23 WHAC) on Wednesday at 2:00 pm, before closing out the regular season with Grace (15-26, 7-17 CL) on Friday at 5:00 pm and Saturday at 2:00 pm.

Related Stories

Grace’s men’s tennis season ends at NAIA tournament

Grace’s season ends at NAIA tournament MOBILE, Ala. - Another memorable season for Grace’s men’s tennis team reached its conclusion on Wednesday. The No. 14 seed Lancers lost to No. 3 Keiser 4-0 in the Second Round of the 2025 NAIA National Championships. Grace was...

Holy Cross falls at 2025 UTR NAIA Women’s Tennis National Championship

2025 UTR NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship Recap - Day Two May 14, 2025 MOBILE, Ala. - [Bracket | Schedule] Round two of the 2025 UTR NAIA Women’s Tennis National Tournament ended with half of the tournament field ending in a 4-0 sweep at the Mobile Tennis...

Participants set for IBCA/IHSAA Underclass Showcase events

For 2025: Girls’ event June 12 and boys event June 27, both at Ben Davis       The 23rd IBCA/IHSAA Top 100 Underclass Showcase basketball events have been set for June 12 and June 27. The 2025 girls' IBCA/IHSAA Top 100 Underclass Showcase will be Thursday, June 12 at...

Bielema Agrees to New Six-Year Contract

Bielema Agrees to New Six-Year Contract CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has agreed to a new six-year contract through the end of the 2030 season, Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced Tuesday. The agreement is pending University of...

Bethel Women’s Tennis falls in first appearance at NAIA Tourney

MOBILE, Ala. --- In the program's first NAIA National Tournament, the Bethel Pilots were swept by the LSU-Alexandria Generals 4-0 in the first round against a Generals team that is in their 10th appearance. DOUBLES 1. Nahia Echaide / Kanu Rajawat def. Kaavya Palani /...