Taylor Cruises behind Strong Hitting to Sweep of Huntington
UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor used an offense surge to sweep the doubleheader in run-rule fashion from Huntington in Crossroads League action at Gudakunst Field on Monday.
Maddi Evans launched two home runs in game one to lead Taylor to a 9-1 triumph.
Evans woke up the TU bats in the bottom of the fifth, rocketing a home run to center to tie the game at one. With one out, the Trojans kept the train rolling, lining three consecutive hits. Ashton Whitman capped off the hit parade with a double down the line, scoring Emma West. On the next play, Caitlyn Grim drove in Alexi Clay on a ground out taking the lead to 3-1.
The Trojans kept the bats hot in the sixth, getting help from miscues by the Foresters (3-12, 1-5) defense. Jersey Tannehill roped a single to start the inning, after which Evans blasted her second home run of the game. Lexi Abruzzo and West reached on errors before Clay singled to score Abruzzo. After one out was recorded, West scored on a passed ball. Later in the frame, two Taylor runs scored on an error that put the run-rule in effect and ended game one early.
Evans (5-3) was brilliant in the circle, tossing six innings of one run ball. She allowed only one hit to go along with seven strikeouts.
The hot-hitting continued to start game two. With two outs in the bottom of the first and the scored tied at one, Kristin Mihalic took advantage, belting a double to the wall to clear the bases.
Taylor poured it on, scoring five more runs in the second. Abruzzo led the inning off with a single, after which West and Evans followed with knocks of their own to load the bases again. The fourth Trojan to the plate, Ashton Whitman, hit a no-doubt grand slam to put the game out of reach. The home run was her second of the season. The Trojans finished the inning off with another Mihalic RBI double and after two times at the plate the home team found themselves out in front 9-1.
The bottom of the third produced more of the same, plating three more runs in the inning. West and Whitman reached to set up a laced triple by Grim scoring both on the play. Grim scored later in the inning on a single by Aleyah Rastetter.
The pitching in game two was stellar as three players combined for one-run ball. Mackenzie Noah started the game and threw three innings allowing the run. Lindsey Nolt and Rastetter each threw a scoreless inning in relief to seal the 12 – 1 victory.
Taylor (8-9, 5-1) will be back in action on Friday, taking on Saint Francis at Gudakunst Field. The Crossroads League action will begin at 3:00 pm.