Walk-Off Grand Slam Brightens Rainy Split with Goshen
UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor secured a split with Goshen on Friday night when Delaney Barton smacked a walk-off grand slam to earn an 8-6 victory in the nightcap.
Barton's grand slam was her first collegiate home run and sent the dugout and fans in the stands into a frenzy on a wet and chilly Friday evening. The freshman had three hits on the evening as she continued her terrific year with a .400 batting average during her first season. Barton threw out a runner stealing behind the plate to add to her amazing day at Gudakunst Field.
Taylor (22-26, 14-20 CL) fell behind in the nightcap and trailed until the final swing, which gave TU its only lead of either game at the most pivotal time.
Livie Lehmann laced a double to left-center in the bottom of the first that plated Emma West and saw Lehmann tie Alex Lovelace for the single-season doubles record at 19 going into the final regular season doubleheader.
Jersey Tannehill ripped a two-out double to plate Madisyn Standridge and gave TU life in the fourth inning, trailing 4-2.
Goshen pushed the lead to four before Lehmann and Bowland crossed the plate in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit back to two.
That set up the final inning, where the first three batters reached and set the table for Barton. Barton's blast delivered the third walk-off win of the season for the Trojans and gave them the season series over the Maple Leafs, winning three of the four contests.
Kaylee Larkin (2-0) notched her second win of the season inside the circle after coming into the game in the sixth inning. Larkin tossed two shutout innings, allowing two baserunners and striking out one batter in an efficient display.
The Trojans dropped game one, as Goshen (24-23, 16-18 CL) blitzed them for eight runs in the fourth, which blew the doors off a tie game.
The Maple Leafs scored three in the top of the first before Taylor plated two runs in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to one.
TU tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, with Aleyah Rastetter driving in the first run after scoring once in the second before an RBI groundout evened the score at four.
Taylor finishes regular season play on Saturday, April 29, against No. 10 Marian (40-6, 29-5 CL) at noon, with senior day festivities taking place before the game starting at 11:30 am.