Frickel’s Power, Trojans’ Patience Proves Pivotal in Road Sweep
INDIANAPOLIS – Brennan Frickel hit three home runs and the Trojans’ lineup drew 24 walks in No. 18 Taylor’s doubleheader sweep over Marian on Thursday. With the two victories, TU (31-13, 24-6) maintained its place atop the Crossroads League standings and clinched its 15th consecutive 30-plus-win season, sans the Covid-shortened 2020 season.
Behind a strong start from Gabel Pentecost and several clutch swings from Frickel, Taylor took the opener 12-2 in eight innings on Friday.
Pentecost (6-1) struggled with his command in the first two innings as he surrendered one run, but that would be all the Knights could muster off him as the sophomore locked in for his six-inning start – his 12th straight to open the season without allowing more than three runs. The Trojans’ ace struck out eight batters, including the final three he faced, and allowed just one baserunner in his last three frames.
Meanwhile, TU’s offense came to life after trailing 1-0 through two innings with a four-run third frame. Luke Picchiotti, Jacob Caruso and Camden Knepp got the lineup churning, and runs came home via a walk, sacrifice fly and, lastly, a two-run single from Frickel.
The Trojans increased their lead in the fifth inning on blistering contact from a Brayden Manning double and another two-RBI base hit from Frickel to take a 7-1 edge.
Three bases on balls allowed Taylor to score two more in the sixth frame before Frickel capped the scoring with a two-out, three-run blast in the top of the eighth. The second baseman’s homer finalized his seven-RBI game, which set a new career high.
Dalton Swinehart pitched two effective innings to conclude the opener, allowing just one run off an RBI-single that kept the run-rule win intact.
Both teams’ starting pitchers had issues with their control in game two, but TU was able to cause more damage thanks to a bases-clearing double from Manning and a run-scoring single off the bat of Knepp through the first three innings that saw the visitors grab an 8-3 lead.
Frickel put a bow on the Trojans’ scoring in his final two at-bats, both of which went for home runs to left field as the sophomore closed out his career day in style.
On the mound, right-hander Jake Boyer (2-0) was the pitcher of record in Taylor’s 10-5 victory. Boyer worked three full innings and picked up three strikeouts while giving up just two earned runs.
Reliever Conner Miller recorded the final eight outs of game two without allowing a run. The appearance made it four straight scoreless outings for the Fort Wayne, Ind., native.
Besides Frickel’s three home runs and nine runs batted in, Knepp and Mason David drew a combined 10 walks and scored eight runs across the twin-bill.
Defensively, Caruso threw out his 21st base stealer of the season in game one, which moved the graduate-transfer’s combined caught-stealing career total to 95.
18th-ranked Taylor concludes its series at Marian (21-20, 16-14 CL) with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.