TU Baseball Bounces Back With Dominant Doubleheader Sweep
UPLAND, Ind. – After seeing its 17-game win streak snapped on Monday, the Taylor baseball team got right back to its winning ways with a pair of 11-run blowout victories on Friday, sweeping Grace with 13-2 and 11-0 wins at Winterholter Field.
The Trojan bats roared to life, doing damage by putting runs on the board in 11-of-14 innings during the doubleheader. The offensive onslaught saw the Purple and Gold pile up 24 runs on 22 hits on the afternoon, with nine extra-base hits. TU also drew eight walks and benefitted from being hit by pitches six times, while striking out only nine times.
The offensive explosion was more than enough for the Taylor hurlers, who yielded only two runs on five hits, while striking out 20 Lancers and giving up just one extra-base knock.
Joe Moran (6-2) took the ball in the opener and carried a shutout into the fifth, before Grace put two runs on the board for its only marks on the scoreboard all day. Moran whiffed nine and scatted four hits to earn the win.
Noah Huseman (5-1) followed in the second game by keeping GC hitless over five brisk innings. Huseman issued one walk and struck out four to earn the win, before Jack Ross and Sam Shively closed out the combined one-hitter with scoreless frames out of the Trojan bullpen. The trio of Huseman, Ross and Shively only saw one base runner advance to second base and did not allow a runner into scoring position over the final six innings.
Multiple Trojans had busy days at the plate, led by Moran's two home runs, one double, four runs scored and six runs driven home. Brett Lawson had five hits in six at bats, while TJ Bass homered and knocked in four and Jacob Morris doubled and drove in four.
Seven different TU batters had multiple hits in the doubleheader, with 11 different players scoring at least one time for the Trojans.
No. 18 Taylor (26-9, 15-3 CL) and Grace (9-18, 6-12 CL) are set to square off again on Saturday, with a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 pm in Upland.