Top-Ranked Trojans Cap Series Sweep of Cougars

UPLAND, Ind. – No. 1 Taylor outscored Saint Francis 33-6 in a doubleheader sweep Monday at Winterholter Field, completing a four-game series sweep of the Cougars and extending its winning streak to 16 games. The 22 runs in the opener tied a season high.

The Trojans (34-3, 22-2 CL) won the opener 22-3 in seven innings behind Jordan Malott's season-high seven-RBI afternoon, then claimed the nightcap 11-3 as Brayden Manning, Brennan Frickel and the pitching staff finished the job. Manning went a combined 6 for 7 with seven RBIs across the two games, headlining a day in which every starter in the TU lineup reached base in both games.

Manning and Frickel each extended their hitting streaks to 16 games, matching the team's 16-game winning streak, the second-longest active streak in the NAIA behind Bellevue's 18, dating back to March 13. It's TU's longest win streak since posting 18 straight wins last season.

In Game 1, Saint Francis struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first on an RBI walk from Andrew Zellers and a groundout by Jordan Davis, but the lead lasted all of half an inning. TU sent 14 batters to the plate in a 10-run bottom of the first, the most scored in a single frame this season, featuring just four hits and seven walks and chasing the Cougars' starter after recording just one out.

Frickel's two-run double to right center tied it. Sam Gladd's two-RBI single put TU ahead. Then the walks kept coming, as Jace Schrock and Fletcher Roemmich each drew bases-loaded free passes before Malott cleared the bases with a triple to right center, capping the frame at 10-2.

The onslaught continued as Kennedy, who has reached safely in 20 consecutive games and all but one this season, opened the second inning with his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to right center, and Manning and Frickel each added two-run singles before the inning was over. TU led 16-2 through two frames.

Malott put the exclamation point on the third with a three-run homer to right center, his 46th career long ball and fourth in the last five games, to push the lead to 20-2.

In his first year as a Trojan, Malott leads the team with 12 home runs this season. He finished 3 for 3 with a triple, a home run, a single, two walks and a season-high seven RBIs by any Trojan this year, needing only a double for the cycle. For the four-game series, Malott hit .727 (8 for 11) with three home runs, 14 RBIs and seven walks.

Manning went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and four runs scored in the opener, while Frickel drove in four on a 2-for-4 outing.

Nathan Frady earned the win in relief, spinning 2.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts. Lane Lewis and Brayden Stevenson combined for four innings of one-run relief to close it out.

TU drew 14 walks in the game and allowed just two earned runs on the afternoon. The Trojans have now scored 402 runs in 37 games this season.

The nightcap was competitive through four innings before three Cougar errors in the fifth blew the game open. TU carried a 4-1 lead into the frame, then sent 11 batters to the plate in a seven-run fifth.

Luke Sutter, who has reached safely in 10 straight games, singled to lead off the nightcap, and Manning got TU on the board with an RBI double in the first. Frickel followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. Ashten Tuttle answered with a solo homer to left in the second to pull Saint Francis within one, but that was all the Cougars could manage against starter JT Tabor.

Tabor improved to 4-0, allowing one run on four hits across four innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Gage Gongwer followed with a perfect fifth on just 11 pitches.

Roemmich's RBI double and another Manning RBI single extended the lead to 4-1 in the fourth before the fifth-inning rally. Brady Gerig's bunt single — on which reliever Brock Bowser's errant throw allowed two runs to score — broke the game open. A sacrifice fly from Kaden Wu, a two-run single from Manning and three wild pitches kept the line moving.

Cole Kintz provided the Cougars' lone highlight of the nightcap with a two-run homer to right center in the sixth, but Alec Hershberger retired the final three batters to close it out, inducing a game-ending double play.

TU travels to Goshen for this week's Crossroads League action, with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. in Friday's doubleheader.