No. 9 Taylor Rolls Past Benedictine Mesa, 19–2

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Brody Fine held Benedictine Mesa hitless and ninth-ranked Taylor stacked up 10 runs through four innings to roll past the Redhawks 19-2 on Friday afternoon. The Trojans improved to 4-0 while Benedictine Mesa dropped to 3-1.

Fine dominated over his 4.0 innings of work, striking out five while allowing just one walk. The senior right-hander struck out the side in the opening frame and cruised from there. Benedictine Mesa didn't record a hit until the sixth inning and plated a pair of unearned runs against freshman reliever Brayden Stevenson, who made his collegiate debut and struck out the side in the fifth.

The Trojans have scored 59 runs through four games, the most in the first four games of a season by a TU squad since at least 2005.

Taylor broke through with five runs on five hits in the second inning. Sam Gladd led off with a single and Ben Kennedy reached on a fielder's choice. Rylee Singleton singled to load the bases before Brennan Frickel hammered a bases-clearing double off the left field wall for a 3-0 lead. Peter Ensign followed with an RBI single for his first collegiate hit, extending the advantage to 4-0, and the freshman later scored for a 5-0 cushion.

The Trojans added four runs in the third with a two-out rally. After Gladd walked and Singleton doubled, Frickel drew a walk to load the bases again. Ensign delivered an infield RBI single before Roemmich was hit by a pitch to drive in another run. Sutter followed with a two-run double to push the lead to 9-0.

Taylor made it 10-0 in the fourth when Singleton singled to score Gladd.

Benedictine Mesa broke through in the sixth against Stevenson. After loading the bases, the Redhawks scored two runs on Jackson Rochin's double to cut the deficit to 10-2.

Luke Klunke entered in relief and shut down the Redhawks over the final 3.1 innings, allowing just two hits while striking out two.

The Trojans added a run in the eighth when Frickel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, then racked up eight runs in the ninth. Sutter smacked a two-run homer after Roemmich was hit by a pitch. Frickel added an RBI single before the Trojans scored five more runs on walks with the bases loaded. Brayden Manning capped the scoring with a two-run single to center field.

Frickel finished 2 for 3 with five RBIs while Ensign went 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Singleton collected three hits, and Sutter drove in a career-high six runs on two hits, including his first home run of the season. Roemmich added two hits from the leadoff spot while Gladd walked three times and scored four runs.

Benedictine Mesa starter Thomas Lockyear (0-1) lasted 2.2 innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs (five earned) in the left-hander's first start as a Redhawk.

The teams meet again Saturday for a doubleheader at noon ET at Mesa High School.