Riggins Tosses Complete Game in Split at HU
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HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Clay Riggins worked his first complete game and Taylor held Huntington to five runs over 16 innings but had to settle for a road split in Wednesday’s doubleheader, winning the opener, 7-2, before falling, 3-2, in the nightcap for its eighth one-run loss of the season.
TU put three runs on the board in the top of the first before turning the ball over to Riggins, who never gave up the ball or the lead, going the distance in the 7-2 Trojan victory.
Riggins (7-0) used 104 pitches to complete seven innings for the second-straight start and allowed only one run on three hits, while striking out three in his first collegiate complete game victory.
The Trojans used hits from Wyatt Whitman, Josh Lane, Tanner Watson and Sam Wiese in the three-run first and added four insurance runs in the final two frames to put the game out of reach.
Lane paced the offense with three hits, a run and an RBI, with Watson logging two hits, one run and one RBI. Jared Adkins scored twice and Andrew Kennedy drove in two runs.
The bats stayed active for Taylor in the series finale with 10 hits, but the Trojans could not convert on the scoring opportunities, as they missed a chance to complete the season sweep over the Foresters and gain ground in the Crossroads League title hunt.
A pair of fielding errors cost TU as well, as Huntington opened the fifth and eighth innings by reaching on an error and eventually plated an unearned run in each frame in what proved to be the difference in the 3-2 decision.
Watson and Kennedy each had two hits and Kennedy drove in each of the runs in the loss.
Kennedy was also good on the mound, holding Huntington to one earned run over five innings of work with four strikeouts and four hits. Luke Shively (6-1) was the hard-luck losing pitcher, after allowing just one unearned tally over the final three innings.
RV Taylor (36-12, 16-7 CL) now narrowly trails Indiana Wesleyan (32-16, 18-6 CL) and Huntington (17-18, 15-6 CL) in the three-team chase atop the league standings and will need help over the final week of the regular season in order to keep its championship hopes alive.
IWU will host Spring Arbor (24-21, 14-9 CL) over the weekend, while Huntington will host Goshen (19-24, 10-14 CL) this weekend, before playing two at Marian (18-22, 12-10 CL) on Monday and one at Spring Arbor on Tuesday.
TU will host Saint Francis (12-32, 9-15 CL) for a single game on Friday at 6:00 pm and a doubleheader on Saturday at 2:00 pm, before closing league play at Grace (5-31, 5-16 CL) on Monday at 3:00 pm.
