Long Balls and Defense Salvage Split Against Grace
UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor used the long ball and spectacular defense in a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Grace on Wednesday to salvage a season-series split with Grace (13-23, 9-19 CL).
Taylor was up against the wall on Wednesday night, facing a 4-1 deficit and the potential of dropping a pair of games to Grace. Delaynee McCreary began the comeback with a solo home run to deep left field in the bottom of the fourth.
After a scoreless top of the fifth, Livie Lehmann roped a single to left and forced a mound visit for the Lancers. Kaylee Larkin stepped in thereafter and immediately launched a no-doubt home run to tie the ballgame on the first pitch of the at-bat. Larkin's blast was her twelfth of the season, which put her into a tie for second for a season in program history.
The Trojans were not satisfied with a tie, and McCreary laced a single to left and stole second before Madisyn Standridge came up. The sensational sophomore bounced a ball that the third base gloved ranging to her left, but Standridge's speed forced an errant throw, which allowed McCreary to cross the plate and Taylor a 5-4 lead.
Mackenzie Noah then went to work and retired six of the next seven Grace batters to secure a TU victory in the nightcap. The win for Noah is her fifth in her last six games as she has risen to sixth in Taylor's history with 32 career victories.
Taylor scored its first run of the nightcap in the bottom of the first as Aleyah Rastetter and Lehmann ripped back-to-back doubles to get things going.
The defense was a key factor in the victory as Brooke Sanchez made a spectacular catch and throw to turn a double play to end the Lancer's fourth. Sanchez had eight total contributions as she caught multiple line drives and made a dazzling throw on a ball that was deflected by Noah inside the circle to get a runner in the fifth.
The Trojans struggled to get anything going in the opener, getting run-ruled 8-0 in five innings.
Grace hit lights out in the second inning, notching six hits, four doubles, a walk, and scoring six times to take a commanding lead, which grew with a pair of runs in the fifth.
Standridge and Emri Agre both swiped a base in the opener, with Standridge also nabbing one in the nightcap to take her season total to 21, which put her into a tie for third in single-season Taylor history.
Taylor (23-17, 15-11 CL) continues its homestand on Wednesday, April 17, against No. 7 Marian (33-7, 21-5 CL), with the first pitch set for 4:00 pm.