Offense Carries Taylor Past Bethel in Doubleheader Sweep
UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor blasted four home runs and scored twenty runs across a pair of victories over Bethel (6-28, 2-20 CL) at Gudakunst Field on Tuesday night.
Kaylee Larkin launched a home run in each contest to push her season total to eight and career mark to 36, which is second all-time in program history and six off the record set by Lauren Ehle.
Madisyn Standridge added a grand slam in the third inning of the opener, which put Taylor ahead by nine at the time, while Addison Messer launched her first collegiate home run in the nightcap.
The Trojans took an early lead with three quick runs in the bottom of the first. Jayci Kitchen singled up the middle and stole second before Bella Browning drove her in with a single. Larkin then blasted one out to left center for the 3-0 lead.
After a scoreless second, Bethel scored a two-out run with a single followed by a double to the left-field fence.
TU answered with seven in the bottom of the inning. Three singles started the inning before Ava Everman ripped a double to left center. Standridge delivered the big hit with a grand slam to left center into the wind, which gave TU an insurmountable nine-run lead.
The Pilots took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues by the Trojans in the top of the fifth. Pinch-hitter Paxton Baker dropped a two-RBI single down the left field line to escape a run-rule defeat.
The teams traded scoreless innings as Taylor cruised to a 10-3 victory. Claire Cullen (7-4) earned the victory with a complete game allowing one earned run and collecting eight strikeouts. The sophomore is starting to find her groove inside the circle, allowing just six runs in her last six outings over 27.2 innings.
A back-and-forth nightcap unfolded at Gudakunst Field in the nightcap, with the squads trading runs in the second and third innings.
Taylor plated three runs in the fourth, taking advantage of one error by the Bethel defense. Madison Raley ripped a single to center and advanced to second as the ball went under the mitt of the outfielder pushing one run across the board. A sacrifice fly by Lizzy Sinders scored another before a perfectly executed double steal by Kitchen and Standridge completed the scoring.
Bethel answered in the fifth, beginning the inning with four singles and scoring four runs to retake the lead for a moment.
Larkin tied it with a solo home run in the bottom of the frame, and Messer gave TU the lead three batters later with a blast of her own. RBI singles from Sinders and Kitchen capped the scoring and gave TU a 10-6 lead.
Cullen came in relief and after walking the first two batters calmed down and got the final six outs without a run crossing the plate. Cullen added three strikeouts as she was the ace of the evening for the Trojans.
Taylor (18-15, 13-8 CL) travels to Mount Vernon Nazarene (16-16, 9-13 CL) for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 8th, with first pitch set for 3:00 pm.