Taylor Blasts Grace to Move Within One Win of CL Championship
UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor took a major step towards clinching the 2016 regular season Crossroads League Championship on Thursday by sweeping Grace, 14-2 and 10-1, under the lights at Winterholter Field.
TU can secure the 20th league championship on the diamond in program history and its ninth Crossroads League Championship by winning one of its remaining four games. Taylor would also clinch the title if Mount Vernon Nazarene and Bethel both lose any of their final four league contests.
The Trojans took care of business on Thursday, bouncing back into the win column and ending a frustrating stretch of 18-straight innings without scoring a run by lighting up the scoreboard for 24 runs on 22 hits in the twin bill. TU also capitalized on six errors, five wild pitches and 11 walks issued by the Lancers (19-25, 6-16 CL) over the two games, while stealing eight bases without being caught.
Sam Wiese highlighted the offense with four hits in five trips, while Lincoln Reed collected two doubles among three hits and drove in three runs. Nick Saldutti, Jake West and Tanner Watson also had three hits on the night and Nathan Targgart drove in five runs. Brian Moore and Watson each scored five runs from the top two spots in the lineup and the duo, along with Jared Adkins combined for seven thefts on the bases.
Luke Hunter improved to 7-1 on the hill with his sixth win in as many league starts in the opener. Hunter pushed his streak to 27.2 innings without yielding an earned run by carrying a shutout into the fourth, before settling with two earned runs allowed with four strikeouts over five innings of work.
Jordan Crabb followed with a similar performances in the night cap, improving to 5-2 and extending a scoreless innings streak of his own to 17.2 frames before ending the night with one earned run allowed over five innings.
Rob Fox, Andrew Feldman, Jake West and Collin Eggleson each tossed a scoreless inning in relief during the doubleheader, as the Trojan hurlers held Grace to three runs on nine hits in the sweep.
Taylor (35-14, 17-5 CL) will look to claim the 2016 Crossroads League Championship on Saturday, when it hosts Bethel (16-21, 12-8 CL) for a doubleheader starting at 1:00 pm.