NO. 4 BERRY SHUTS DOWN TROJANS

Box Score

Fourth-ranked Berry pounded out 17 hits and scored four runs in two different innings Tuesday on the way to a 12-0 victory to give the Taylor baseball team its first loss of the double-elimination NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round.

The loss dropped the Trojans into the losers' bracket of the tournament where they will play Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the winner of Malone vs. The Master's in an elimination game.

It was the first time Taylor (37-18) was held without a run this season. Before Tuesday night, Taylor had not been shutout since a 6-0 loss to Saint Francis on April 22, 2008.

Berry (43-13), the tournament host playing in front of its home crowd, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead to mark the second straight game Taylor has given up two runs in the first inning.

The Taylor offense was stymied throughout the game by Berry starter Chris Rearick (8-2), who allowed just four Trojan hits in his second complete game effort of the season. He struck out six and did not allow a base on balls. Taylor was unable to advance a base runner past first base in the game.

Three hits in the top of the third produced four more runs for the Vikings as they took a 6-0 lead and knocked Taylor starter Chris Howell (2-4) out of the game after just 2.2 innings of work.

Berry stranded a pair of runners in the fourth inning, but added a run on a hit to push its lead to 7-0. Four more runs were added to the home team's tally in the eighth inning, ignited by a leadoff solo home run by Mitch Terry. The final run for Berry came on a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning.

Nate Hillery was one of four Taylor players with one hit in the game. The junior's two-game tournament totals are 4-for-6 from the plate with a run scored.

Senior catcher Paul Passiales twice threw out Vikings base runners attempting to steal second base. The missiles from the arm of Passiales came in the sixth inning and the eighth inning.

A win on Wednesday evening would keep Taylor alive in the tournament, but a loss would bring an end to the Trojans' record-setting season.