Roemmich’s Walk-Off Blast Seals Series Sweep of Spring Arbor
UPLAND, Ind. – Fletcher Roemmich delivered the biggest hit of the weekend for the Trojans with a walk-off solo home run to secure a series sweep of Spring Arbor (10-10, 6-6 CL) on Saturday at Winterholter Field.
No. 3 Taylor's record of 22-3 is the programs best mark to start a season, one game better than an incredible 21-4 start a season ago. The remarkable start has TU tied atop the Crossroads League standings with Marian (16-5, 10-2 CL) and is the third best mark in the NAIA this season.
Extra innings felt imminent in the final game of a four-game series against Spring Arbor before Roemmich launched a two-out, solo home run down the left field line to secure a 3-2 win in walk-off fashion.
A tight game in the series finale was due to the outstanding arm of Colin Snyder for the Cougars, who threw 6.2 innings and allowed three runs to a Trojan offense, which had score 46 runs in its previous three games against Spring Arbor and is averaging over ten runs a game this year.
Taylor fell behind in the top of the first and had to wait until the fourth inning before knotting the score at one. Jordan Malott was hit by a pitch and Tyler Allemeier pinch ran for him. Brennan Frickel roped a single past the shortstop to put runners on the corners for Sam Gladd. Gladd sent a deep fly ball to right, which was knocked down by the wind and ended in a deep sacrifice fly.
The Cougars responded with a run in the fifth before Taylor leveled it at two in the sixth. Brayden Manning began the frame with a walk and advanced to third on a line drive off the pitcher by Frickel. Gladd drove in Manning on a groundout to set up a dramatic seventh.
Spring Arbor began the top of the seventh with a double and quickly had a runner on third with nobody out after a wild pitch. A fantastic diving stop by Frickel at second provided the first out and held the runner at third before Nathan Frady fanned the leadoff batter for the second out. Frady then induced a grounded back to the mound to get out of the inning with the teams deadlocked, setting up Roemmich's blast to end the game.
Frady picked up the win in the opener in relief, firing 2.2 innings of scoreless ball. The junior right hander struck out a pair and allowed two baserunners en route to his second win of the season.
Th opener on Saturday was all Trojans, who rolled to a dominant 14-4 run-rule victory. Seven runs in the first inning as Taylor drew six walks in the frame. The Cougars had a quick trigger with the starter, who departed before recording an out six batters into the contest.
Malott and Luke Sutter delivered the only two hits in the inning, each RBI singles as every batter in the lineup reached base.
Spring Arbor scored in the second, but Taylor responded with a trio of runs in the bottom of the inning. Gladd had an RBI single and Frickel hit a line drive to right which evaded the right fielder who dove for it, resulting in a two-RBI triple.
Another run by the visitors in the fourth was answered with a pair of sacrifice flies by TU in the bottom of the inning before Manning delivered a bases-loaded two-RBI single in the fifth to extend the advantage to 14-2.
The Cougars mounted a comeback in the seventh, plating a pair of two-out runs and loading the bases before a grounder in front of the plate allowed Kaden Wu to tap the plate for the final out of the game.
All nine starters in the lineup had at least one RBI, while all but one crossed the plate as everyone got involved on the offensive outpour. Lane Lewis collected the victory on the mound, pitching four innings and striking out three while allowing just one unearned run.
No. 3 Taylor (22-3, 10-2 CL) takes on Mount Vernon Nazarene (13-8, 7-5 CL) on the road in a four-game set beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, March 20th, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm.
