Taylor Tops Defiance for 20th Win
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UPLAND, Ind. – The 2018 TU baseball team became the fastest to 20 wins in 14 years under head coach Kyle Gould, as the Trojans defeated Defiance, 11-1, on Thursday in a final tune-up before opening Crossroads League play at Marian over the weekend.
Defiance (4-6) scored its lone run of the afternoon with a solo homer in the top of the second inning, but Taylor countered with two runs in the bottom half and widened its lead with three in the fourth. TU added two in the seventh and four in the eighth to post the 11-1 final.
Taylor scored the 11 runs on 13 hits, eight walks and two DC fielding errors, with Brett Lawson’s two-run double providing TU with its lone extra-base knock of the game.
Wyatt Whitman had a big day at the dish with two hits, four runs batted in and a run scored, with Tanner Watson reaching in all five plate appearances with three singles, two walks and a trio of runs scored. Sam Wiese also scored three runs, after singling and walking twice and Austin Mettica remained hot with a single, three walks and three RBI.
TU used five different pitchers to limit the Yellow Jackets to one run on seven hits over the nine-inning affair. Kole Barkhaus started the game and tossed three innings, before Justin Pettit tossed three scoreless frames to record his first collegiate victory.
Brenden Bube, Colin Pfotenhauer and Trevor Booth all tossed one scoreless inning to protect the TU lead.
RV Taylor (20-5) will head to Marian (6-12) on Friday to begin Crossroads League play with a three-game series between two of the favorites expected to contend for the league championship. The series is slated to open with a nine-inning game on Friday at 4:00 pm and conclude with a Saturday doubleheader starting at 1:00 pm.