Kanai, Ryals Power Taylor to Sweep of Goshen
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UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor freshmen Lauren Kanai and Jacqueline Ryals each connected on their first-career home runs on Friday, leading TU to 3-0 and 7-3 wins over Goshen at Gudakunst Field.
The Trojans were deadlocked with Goshen (9-16, 1-5 CL) in a scoreless tie entering the home-half of the fifth in game one, before Ryals delivered the first round-tripper of her collegiate career to lead-off TU’s half of the frame.
An RBI single from Courtney Moriarty and an RBI groundout by Davis Carter later in the inning rounded out Taylor’s scoring for the contest.
In the circle, Darby Shaw (4-1) recorded a career-best five strikeouts and retired the final 12 Maple Leafs to come to the plate, securing the 3-0 win in the opening game for TU.
GC started the second outing with two runs to open up a 2-0 lead before Taylor came to the plate.
The 2-0 Goshen lead remained intact until Kanai stepped to the plate to lead-off the third stanza. The freshman belted the 2-1 pitch over the center-field fence to put the Trojans on the board and sparked a seven-run frame.
Faith Rebber followed her classmate’s first-career homer with her own first-career hit, which was a double down the left-field line. Cassie Kuizin brought Rebber home two pitches later, sending the 0-1 delivery over the left-field fence to put Taylor in front, 3-2, with nobody out.
After back-to-back Trojan hitters were hit by pitches to walk in a run, Kanai came up to the plate for a second time in the third inning and again delivered for Taylor, ripping a bases-clearing double to the left-field corner to put TU up, 7-2, after three innings complete.
An RBI double from the visitors in the fifth brought Goshen to within 7-3, but Kanai (4-3) did not allow another Maple Leaf to reach second base the rest of the way in the win.
Ryals led Taylor with two hits in the first game, including the pivotal home run, while Kanai earned the win in the circle in game two and posted a 2-for-3 day at the plate with her own pivotal home run and a career-high four runs batted in.
RV Taylor (9-5, 3-3 CL) will return to the diamond on Tuesday, when it hosts Saint Francis (10-11, 3-5 CL) for two Crossroads League games at 4:00 pm at Gudakunst Field.
