Taylor Clinches NAIA Nationals Appearance
INDIANAPOLIS – In a vital early morning game, the Taylor softball team (26-27) took down No. 14 Marian (40-11) by a final score of 2-1 to reach the Crossroads League Championship game, thereby clinching an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2019.
The Trojans earned the Crossroads League's second NAIA National Tournament bid, accompanying No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan who won the regular-season-championship, therefore giving the league's second bid to the tournament runner-up, Taylor.
Maddi Evans (16-11) continued her dominance in the circle on her way to victory in the pivotal game. The senior struck out 13 batters, while holding the potent Knights offense to two hits and one run. The righty began the game on a roll, retiring the first nine Marian hitters, while striking out four, before a walk to start the fourth inning.
Evans started each of the first five games of the tournament for the Trojans and delivered 31 brilliant innings. The righty totaled 30 strikeouts and allowed a measly eight runs in all.
Taylor grabbed an early lead over the Knights by scoring twice in the bottom of the second. Caitlyn Grim led off the inning with a single up the middle and came around to score, after Kristin Mihalic reached on an error. The Trojans capitalized on the miscue then, when Jersey Tannehill laced a doubled to right that drove home Mihalic to set the score at 2-0.
Marian chipped away at the lead, though, scoring in the fourth to get within a run at 2-1.
Evans held them at bay from there, not allowing another runner to reach third the rest of the way while collecting seven of the last nine outs via the strikeout.
Taylor, then, fell in the championship game to No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan (50-8).
TU grabbed a one run lead in the top of the third on a sacrifice-fly by Grim that plated Emma West, who reached on an error to start the inning.
The Trojans subsequently fell behind, before Aleyah Rastetter belted a home run to left field in the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-2.
The comeback ultimately fell short, however, as No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan scored four in the bottom of the sixth to win 10-2 via the run-rule.
Despite the loss, Taylor will head back to campus full of joy, as its season will continue next week in the NAIA National tournament.
TU will await to hear its first-round destination during the NAIA softball selection show Tuesday at 5:00 pm. Wherever their destination, the Trojans will play Monday, May 16th.