Season Comes to a Close in Play-In Game Loss Against Spring Arbor

Crossroads League Championships Central

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor softball team saw its season come to a close on Tuesday with an 8-1 loss against Spring Arbor (13-35, 12-24 CL) in the Crossroads League Tournament play-in game.

Delaney Barton led the squad with a pair of hits, including an RBI single in the bottom of the third, as the catcher finished the season with 12 hits in her final six games to post career-highs in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Barton was named to the Crossroads League All-Tournament Team with her great game. 

The offense delivered eight hits, but no extra-base knocks for Taylor, who stranded eight runs and produced just a single run in a disappointing outing at the plate as a team.

The Trojans fell behind early, giving up a pair of runs in the first before the Cougars extended the lead in the third with another run.

Barton drove in classmate Livie Lehmann as a two-out rally started by a Lehmann single and followed by a walk by Kaylee Larkin produced Taylor's lone run of the ballgame on a single by Barton down the left-field line.

The Cougars added runs in the fourth and sixth before Barton began the bottom of the sixth with her second hit, and Jayci Kitchen followed with a pinch-hit knock to give TU some momentum late in the game. Unfortunately, the two were left stranded in scoring position as a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.

Taylor (30-21, 19-17 CL) will look to bounce back next season as the entire starting lineup is set to return along with a pair of pitchers as just three seniors graduate.