Trojans Capitalize on Early Miscues to Secure Split Against Mount Vernon Nazarene

UPLAND, Ind. – Two tight contests were split between Taylor (23-13, 12-10 CL and Mount Vernon Nazarene (18-13, 11-11 CL) on Friday evening at Gudakunst Field.

A wild first inning saw Taylor respond to a four-run frame from the Cougars with four of its own in the bottom half. A trio of singles began the frame, and Kaylee Larkin drew a walk to plate the first run. Delaney Barton singled to center for an RBI, and Delaynee McCreary drove a sacrifice fly to get within one. Another run crossed the plate on a groundout to knot the score at four.

Mount Vernon Nazarene added a run in the second, and the Trojans responded with four more to grab their first lead of the day. Brooke Sanchez doubled to lead off and scored after the throw got away on a bunt single from Emri Agre. Another bunt, this one by Madisyn Standridge, resulted in another error by the Cougars, and Agre scored on the play. Grace Mullins then scored on a wild pitch before Barton drove in her second run in as many innings on a double to right-center field.

After 13 combined runs in the first two frames, the teams combined for zero in the next four frames to send the game into the seventh, with the Trojans ahead by three.

Mackenzie Noah threw her sixth complete game of the season for her eighth victory. The senior hurler walked just a single batter and did a phenomenal job of limiting the damage as MVNU left nine runners stranded.

The Cougars threatened to score in the top of the sixth, but after having runners on second and third with nobody out, Noah induced a weak grounder to third and delivered her first strikeout of the game before a line drive ended the inning.

MVNU scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh but was sent down before any more damage to finish the game 8-6 in Taylor's favor.

The nightcap was a game of attrition as MVNU continued to have a lot of traffic on the basepaths. The Cougars struck in the first with a run with two outs before Larkin hit the first of two solo home runs in the second to level it at one.

Two solo home runs for the opposition preceded Larkin's second home run, this one deep to the opposite field to put the score at 3-2 MVNU.

Taylor scored without a hit to begin the fifth as Bella Browning got hit to reach base and came all the way around on a sacrifice bunt and a throwing error. With two outs, Jayci Kitchen singled and stole second before scoring on a single by Agre for the Trojans' first lead of the contest.

Unfortunately, the Cougars roared back with two runs to retake the lead in the sixth before adding an insurance run in the seventh for a 6-4 final.

Taylor plays on the road against Spring Arbor (15-20, 7-17 CL) on Saturday, April 12, in Crossroads League action, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm.