Larkin's Blast Leads Taylor to Split at Bear Creek Tournament
WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – Kaylee Larkin hit her first career home run against Cleary (2-4) to help the Trojans earn a split on the second day of the Bear Creek Tournament.
Taylor (6-2) defeated Cleary 4-1 in game one before falling 6-2 against RV Rio Grande (1-0) in its final game of the weekend.
Freshman Mady Foy (2-0) got the start against Cleary to begin the day and made the most of it. Foy pitched a complete game and held the Cougars to a single unearned run. The righty collected five strikeouts while allowing only two hits throughout the game. Foy retired the final eleven batters to shut the door on any comeback attempt from the Cougars.
The Trojans grabbed an early lead as Emma West got an infield single, stole second, advanced to third on an errant throw, and was driven in on a sacrifice fly by Jersey Tannehill.
Cleary tied the game at one in the second inning, taking advantage of the leadoff runner reaching on an error.
Larkin delivered the key hit in the fourth inning, driving the ball over the left field fence, after Aleyah Rastetter singled and stole second, to take a 3-1 lead.
TU added an insurance run in the seventh as Brooke Sanchez walked with one out before Madisyn Standridge pinch-ran for her. Chelsea Bowland laced a double for the second straight day, which pushed Standridge to third. West stepped up and delivered a sac fly to give the Trojans a 4-1 lead.
Taylor fell behind early against RV Rio Grande and could not recover.
The Red Storm used a leadoff double to plate the game's first run in the first inning.
After a scoreless second inning, Rio Grande put up four runs with two outs to force a pitching change for the Trojans, as Cassy Lewis took over for Katie Kottlowski for a second straight day.
Taylor cut into the lead in the fourth, with each of the first four batters reaching base, with Standridge scoring when Tannehill got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Bowland then scored on a sacrifice fly by Caitlyn Grim. The next two batters struck out to end the threat.
Lewis held the Red Storm at bay, allowing one run over four-and-a-third innings, which brought her total to eight innings over the two days with one unearned run allowed.
The split on Saturday ensured a 3-1 record at the Bear Creek Tournament, in which the Trojans played all four games within 24 hours between Friday and Saturday.
TU returns to Upland to play its first home doubleheader of the season against No. 25 Saint Xavier (5-3) on Friday, February 25, with the first pitched scheduled for 3:00 pm.
