SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 9 Taylor's offense led the charge in an opening day split with Spring Arbor, winning the opener 9-3 before falling in heart-breaking walk-off fashion 9-8 in the nightcap.
Kaleb Kolpien continued to rack up hits with five more in the twin-billing while scoring three runs and swiping three bases. Brennan Frickel shook off a tough start in the opener and tallied three extra-base hits and three RBI in the second game of the day.
The Trojans jumped on the Cougars in the top of the first as the first five batters collected a hit, including a trio of doubles. Camden Knepp and Kolpien roped back-to-back two-baggers to left to begin the game. Brayden Manning drove in both with a single up the middle before Sam Gladd laced a double to left to put runners on second and third once again. Manning and Gladd crossed the plate on the next two at-bats for a 4-0 lead early in the game.
TU continued to build the lead with a run in the second and a pair in the third, with the top of the order in the middle of it all for a 7-0 lead.
Spring Arbor clawed its way back into the game with small ball in the fourth and fifth innings, which produced three runs to cut the lead to four.
Taylor (11-9, 4-2 CL) responded in the sixth and seventh with a run in each to push the lead back to six, where it would stay for the rest of the game.
Gabel Pentecost was terrific on the mound for the Trojans, tossing six innings of three-run ball before giving way to the bullpen. The sophomore did not walk a batter and struck out four to earn his first win of the season despite pitching tremendously thus far.
Jack Ross came in relief and threw three shutout innings for his second save of the season. Ross was effective and came away with three strikeouts, two of them looking while allowing just three baserunners.
Taylor's offense continued its hot hitting in game two, plating three runs in the first inning. Gladd knocked in the first run with a two-out single before Frickel blasted a double to drive in Gladd and Kolpien.
Spring Arbor (6-10, 2-4 CL) used the long ball in the bottom of the first to score six runs on a trio of home runs to take its first lead of the day.
The Trojan quickly replied with two runs in the second and regained the lead with another pair of runs in the third. Leadoff doubles by Ben Kennedy and Frickel sparked the rallies and gave TU the momentum.
Nick Crabtree came in relief early for Taylor and had his stuff working in three and a third innings of work. Crabtree struck out seven of 13 batters faced and did not surrender a run in his best outing of the year.
The squads traded zeros on the scoreboard until the seventh when Frickel launched a solo home run to double the advantage for TU going into the bottom of the seventh.
Spring Arbor capitalized on an error to lead off the inning and had the final four batters reach base, and a one-out bases-loaded single drove in the game-tying and winning runs to secure the opening day split for the Cougars.
Taylor will finish the series at Spring Arbor on Monday, March 11 as the forecasted rain on Friday forced the schedule change. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m.
