Manning Homers Twice in Elimination Defeat to MVNU

Crossroads League Championships Central

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Top-seeded and No. 21-ranked Taylor fell out of the 2023 Crossroads League Tournament with a 5-3 loss to Mount Vernon Nazarene on Friday morning, despite getting two home runs from Brayden Manning.

The fifth-seeded Cougars took a 1-0 lead over TU just three batters into the game and added an unearned tally for a 2-0 lead before the end of the top of the first.

The MVNU lead eventually grew to 5-0, before the Trojans got on the board with solo home runs from Ben Kennedy and Manning in the fifth and sixth.

TU got runners on the base paths in the seventh and eighth frames but saw double plays end the threat each time, as the ninth inning came around with Mount Vernon Nazarene still holding a 5-2 advantage.

Taylor threated again in the bottom of the ninth, getting Manning's second solo homer of the day to draw to within two runs and then putting the tying runners on the bases with an error and a single off the bat of Luke Picchiotti.

Much the same as the previous two innings, the Cougars (24-25) escaped further damage however, and finished the 5-3 victory to eliminate Taylor from the league tournament.

The Taylor bats piled up 11 hits in the loss but could not string them together. Manning led the way with the two home runs, one single and one walk, while Kaleb Kolpien added three knocks and Camden Knepp had two.

The Trojan bullpen was strong, with Jared Crandall and Alec Holcomb teaming to hold MVNU to zero runs and just one hit over the final 4.2 innings of work.

No. 21 Taylor (37-15) will now turn its focus toward the NAIA National Tournament, as it will host the Opening Round at Winterholter Field on May 15-18. The Trojans will learn what teams will join them when the NAIA announces the bracket on May 11.

Fans can stay tuned to TaylorTrojans.com for all of the latest news and updates on the NAIA National Tournament.