Trojans Fall in High-Scoring, 14-Inning Outing at IWU
MARION, Ind. – The Taylor baseball team jumped out to an 8-0 lead at Indiana Wesleyan on Wednesday, but a nine-run bottom of the second helped IWU hand TU an 11-10 loss in 14 innings.
Taylor erupted for five runs in its first time at the plate to take a 5-0 lead midway through the first inning.
Tanner Watson was the first baserunner of the contest, reaching on a walk, followed by a Nathan Targgart single to put runners on first and second with one out. Andrew Kennedy then delivered an RBI double, scoring Kyle Kelsheimer, who pinch-ran for Watson.
Targgart scored on a sacrifice fly from Jared Adkins, Sam Wiese’s base knock brought home Kennedy and Wiese then scored on Brett Lawson’s double to force IWU to change pitchers.
After the pitching change, Lawson came around to score on Josh Lane’s single for the fifth run of the opening frame for the Trojans.
Taylor tacked on another three runs in the top of the second to take a commanding, 8-0 lead, but the Wildcats responded quickly with nine runs of their own in the second stanza to make it 9-8 in favor of IWU entering the third inning.
In the fourth, TU got two runs with two outs, highlighted by an RBI single from Lawson to regain the lead at 10-9.
Indiana Wesleyan forced the game into a 10-10 deadlock with a solo home run in the fifth inning, and the tie stood firm, until the hosts ended the game in the 14th inning with a walk-off single.
Targgart and Lane led the offensive display for the Purple and Gold with three hits apiece, with Targgart scoring three times and Lane driving in three runs. Wiese and Lawson each finished the game with two hits and two RBI’s.
The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was suspended after the first inning due to fog, and that contest will be continued on Tuesday, April 3, at a time to be determined with the score knotted at 0-0 in the top of the second inning.
RV Taylor (23-9, 3-4 CL) will travel to Huntington (7-12, 5-0 CL) on Friday for a single, nine-inning matchup at 6:00 pm in its next action on the diamond.
