No. 25 Taylor Regroups from Game One Loss in Split with WIU

No. 25 Taylor Regroups from Game One Loss in Split with WIU

Team Stats

January 27, 2015

BABSON PARK, Fla. – The 2015 season got underway for No. 25 Taylor softball Monday, as the Trojans made a statement with a 12-2 win after dropping the first game of the doubleheader 10-5 to Webber International.

It was the first game action of the season for both teams, and Taylor kicked-off its campaign shortly after receiving the program's first-ever position in the NAIA Top-25 rankings.

In game one, Webber International opened the scoring with a run in the bottom half of the first inning off Taylor starter Hannah Klebesadel. Taylor then responded with a big five-run inning in the top of the second to grab a 5-1 lead.

Lauren Ehle scored first coming home on a passed ball, and not soon after Anna Gunderson drove in two runners with a single to center field. Freshman Davis Carter singled the next at-bat to advance Gunderson to second, and Ashley Miller doubled to left field to bring both base runners around.

The Trojans were unable to score for the remainder of the contest however, scattering hits and stranding baserunners. The five run output in the end was not enough for Taylor, as the bats of Webber International went on to produce ten runs in the 10-5 Warrior victory. The Trojans also were unable to recover from three fielding errors and miscues, as Webber International had five unearned runs in the fifth inning. Maddie Cornell took the loss in the circle after relieving Klebesadel in the bottom of the third inning with the score tied at 5-5.

Game two was scoreless through the first two innings, but the visiting Trojans lit up the scoreboard with four runs in the top of the third to jump in front. Mackenzie Hiers got the big inning started with a walk and a stolen base with two outs already recorded. Alex Lovelace then advanced Hiers to third with a single before stealing second base. Gunderson drove in Hiers after reaching on an error, and Lovelace was able to make it all the way around to score on the throw. Carter then blasted her first collegiate home run for two RBI to put Taylor ahead 4-0.

Taylor held that lead until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Warriors plated two runs off starting pitcher Hannah Robbins to cut the Trojan lead in half. Miller came in for relief of Robbins and got the final out in the inning to avoid any further damage.

The rest of the game was an offensive barrage for Taylor, as it went on to score the final eight runs in the contest for the decisive 12-2 result. Five of those runs came in the top of the sixth inning as Taylor broke open a 9-2 lead, highlighted by another Carter homer, a Taylor Murray RBI single and a Lovelace double to left field to drive in two.

Miller had a home run of her own in the top of the seventh inning to drive in two more, and Murray reached on an error to score Ehle for the final run of the game.

In game two it was Webber International that showed some rust in the field, as the Warriors made four errors as Taylor amassed four unearned runs.

Robbins earned the win in the circle, earning two outs in the bottom of the fifth before giving way to Miller who closed it out to earn the save. Robbins gave up two runs, one earned and one unearned, on four Webber International hits and nearly reached double-figure strikeouts with a career-high total of nine, as quality put-away pitches oftentimes got the sophomore out of potential trouble.

Carter went 2-4 in the win, both dingers, and had three runs scored and three RBI. Ehle was 2-4 with two runs scored, Lovelace finished 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored from the leadoff spot and Miller was 1-4 with two RBI and a run scored after the home run shot in the final inning.

No. 25 Taylor (1-1) will next play on Wednesday in a doubleheader against Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Florida. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.