Explosive Offense Sparks Trojan Win over Kansas Wesleyan

GLENDALE, AZ – One day after Taylor scratched just four hits into the scorebook, the Trojan bats unleashed for 15 hits and 17 runs to defeat Kansas Wesleyan (0-2) on day two of the Coach Calderone Invitational.

Six different Trojans posted multi-hit performances, combining for three home runs, a triple, and a trio of doubles. Kansas Wesleyan, meanwhile, suffered seven errors on which the Trojans capitalized with relentless force to secure a 17-10 win.

Freshman duo, Ben Kennedy and Brayden Manning, went a collective five-for-seven from the dish while racking up five RBI, three of which came on Manning's first-career collegiate home run in the first inning.

Manning's home run served as an exclamation mark on a five-run first inning, which was calmly ignited by a Mason David walk. After David advanced to third on a pair of errant throws from the Kansas Wesleyan pitcher, Kaleb Kolpien recorded the first RBI of his sophomore season on a groundout to second.

The lead soon expanded to two, after a pair of additional walks set the table for Kennedy to drive in his first collegiate RBI with a single through the left side of the infield. Then stepped Manning into the box, who promptly plastered three runs on the board with a homer over the outfield fence in left.

Kansas Wesleyan responded with five hits in the top half of the second, which fueled a four-run burst to draw within one run of the Trojans. The damage could have been worse, though, as the Coyotes worked the bases loaded with just one out. Freshman hurler, Gabel Pentecost, then took the mound and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to maintain the one-run Taylor lead.

Feasting on the momentum gained by Pentecost's big strikeouts, the Trojans plated four more runs in the bottom of the second, all of which came on one mammoth swing from the bat of Luke Picchiotti, a junior transfer from Illinois Chicago.

Up 9-4 heading into the bottom of the third inning, the Taylor bats would soon double their lead over Kansas Wesleyan, posting five runs on four base knocks. Kade Vander Molen got the ball rolling by collecting his first RBI of the season, driving in TJ Bass after he struck his second double in as many days. Following a subsequent run scored thanks to a defensive error and a third run affected by a sacrifice-fly, Picchiotti then drove in two more runs with a triple down the right-field line for his sixth run-batted-in of the game.

Vander Molen soon made it a 15-4 game when he notched his second RBI of the game on a single to left field in the fourth inning. Bass then slapped two more runs on the board with his first home run of the 2023 campaign, a monster shot over the left-field fence to increase the TU lead to 13.

Pentecost (1-0) finished his first collegiate outing with three-and-two-thirds innings of work, allowing just one run in tandem with seven strikeouts en route to the first win of his collegiate career.

Kansas Wesleyan managed to score five unanswered runs down the stretch, though the early offensive energy provided ample room for Taylor to secure the victory, 17-10, as Jack Ross closed the book with one-and-two-thirds innings of hitless action.

Taylor (1-1) will play its final game of the Coach Calderone Invitational Saturday afternoon, January 28, when the Trojans are slated to play Embry-Riddle (1-0) at 4:00 pm ET.