![Trojans Blast Nine Homers in Regular Season Finale Sweep of MU](/images/2020-21/Baseball/bb_action21_crawford_tech1.jpg)
Trojans Blast Nine Homers in Regular Season Finale Sweep of MU
UPLAND, Ind. – RV Taylor closed its 2021 regular season in style, topping Marian 22-1 in Saturday's opener and 5-4 in a walk-off winner in the second contest. TU clubbed nine home runs in the doubleheader, highlighted by three dingers from Conner Crawford and the walkoff shot by Nick Rusche.
The Trojan bats jumped all over Marian in Saturday's first game, clearing the Winterholter Field fences five times during a 14-run second inning. Kade Vander Molen opened the onslaught with a grand slam and added a two-run blast later in the frame. Crawford and Matt Dutkowski also delivered two-run homers in the inning and Joe Moran provided a solo shot to cap the rally.
Taylor did not stop there, adding three more runs in the third and three in the fourth en route to the 22-1 final. TU piled up 23 hits in the blowout, with five doubles and seven home runs. In addition to the second inning jacks, Crawford added his second of the game and Josh Godfrey collected his first collegiate round tripper.
Eight different Trojans had multi-hit games, eight had at least two runs scored and five knocked in at least two runs. Vander Molen led the way with three hits, two home runs, three runs scored and seven runs batted in, TJ Bass had four hits and Crawford finished with three hits, two homers, two runs and a trio of RBI.
Moran also picked up his eighth win on the bump with a planned shortened start to improve to 8-3 on the year. The senior also became Taylor's all-time single-season strikeout record holder with four whiffs to up his historic season tally to 105 and pass Matt Patton's 2018 mark of 102.
The long ball continued to fuel the Trojans in the finale, as Crawford turned the game around with a two-out, two-strike grand slam that knotted the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth. The grand slam was TU's second of the day and Crawford's third homer of the doubleheader.
The score remained locked at 4-4 into the bottom of the seventh before Rusche smoked the game-winner over the centerfield fence on a two-one count to send Taylor to the thrilling 5-4 victory.
Crawford and Rusche provided the big swings in the game, while Camden Knepp had two more hits and Rusche scored twice.
Sam Shively, Garrett Simmons and Mitch Ubelhor held the Knights off the board over the final five innings to keep Taylor in the contest after a rocky start to the game. The trio combined for eight strikeouts, with Ubelhor picking up his first win of the season by tossing the final two frames.
RV Taylor improved its record to 35-18 on the season and closed Crossroads League play at 24-12 with the two victories. TU will take the second seed in the 2021 CL Tournament, which is set to begin on Friday, May 7 at Indiana Wesleyan.
The Trojans will open their bid for the CL Tournament Championship on Friday at 1:00 pm against seventh-seeded Spring Arbor (19-27, 13-19 CL).