Late Homers Key TU's Sweep of Knights in League Opener
INDIANAPOLIS – Tanner Watson and Lincoln Reed cracked home runs in Taylor's final at bats of both games in Thursday's twin bill at Marian, helping the Trojans score 4-3 and 6-3 wins in a sweep to open Crossroads League play.
Watson provided the heroics in the opener after the Trojans had let a 2-1 lead slip away and entered the top of the seventh facing a 3-2 deficit. Watson cleared the center field fence with one out and the bases empty to tie the score at 3-3, before Brian Moore, Nick Saldutti and Nick Hollowell followed with a single, double and walk to load the bases. Moore sprinted home one out later, scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Logan Rodgers was summoned from the pen to protect the 4-3 lead and the lefty extended his scoreless innings streak to 18.2 innings while earning the save with a quick bottom of the seventh.
Rodgers followed a sharp six-inning outing from Luke Hunter, who improved to 2-1 on the season by earning the win. Hunter allowed five hits and two earned runs over six frames, striking out four Knights.
The top of the order did most of the damage for the Trojans, with Watson, Moore and Saldutti collecting two hits each from the top-three spots. Watson homered and Saldutti doubled, while Moore scored twice.
The second game followed a similar script, with TU jumping to a 3-0 lead before Marian rallied in the fifth to tie the game. Neither side did any additional damage until Lincoln Reed stepped to the plate in the top of the eighth. The senior catcher crushed his fourth home run of the year, and his third game-tying or go-ahead blast of the season, to plate Moore and Hollowell for the 6-3 lead.
Matt Patton made the lead stick, capping a dominant showing from the Taylor bullpen, to seal a sweep with the 6-3 victory.
Patton (1-0) held MU hitless over the final 2.1 innings, racking up three strikeouts and earning the win on the hill. Fox proceeded Patton on the mound, escaping a jam in the fifth and holding the Knights scoreless over 1.2 innings of action.
Reed delivered the big blow on offense, ending 1-2 at the plate with a pair of walks to go with the game-winning three-run shot. Nathan Targgart added two more hits and a double for TU's lone multi-hit performance.
Taylor (15-7, 2-0 CL) and Marian (8-15, 0-2 CL) will conclude the four-game series with a doubleheader at Winterholter on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm.