OUAZ Takes Game One from Taylor on Opening Day

SURPRISE, Ariz. – No. 9 Taylor baseball opened its season Thursday afternoon in Surprise, Arizona, where it was defeated 7-2 by Ottawa University (1-0).

Both of the game's starting pitchers were sharp from the get-go, with Taylor threatening first with its newcomers in the second inning on consecutive base knocks from freshman first-baseman Rylee Singleton and graduate-transfer, catcher Jacob Caruso. The Trojans were left stranded though, and the game remained scoreless through three frames.

TU's starting pitcher Gabel Pentecost, who was perfect through two and-a-third innings before allowing a base hit, surrendered an unearned run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly that put the Spirit ahead, 1-0. The sophomore hurler promptly struck out the next OUAZ batter to end the inning, leaving a runner on second base.

Taylor responded in the top of the fifth by tying the game at one apiece from an RBI double off the bat of second-baseman Brennan Frickel, which scored Camden Knepp.

Three walks drawn by the Spirit in the bottom half of the inning ended up costing the Trojans on a two-out, two-RBI single that put the home team up, 3-1.

TU got one run back in the sixth inning on the strength of three straight hits that began with a two-bagger from Singleton, who was driven in on a single from pinch-hitter Luke Sutter, making his first career collegiate plate appearance.

Another pair of walks allowed in the bottom of the sixth came back to haunt the Trojans as the Spirit took a 5-2 lead into the seventh frame. The Taylor bats then fell silent in the late innings while Ottawa put up two more runs on a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning to conclude the day's scoring.

Despite getting tagged with the loss, Pentecost ended his 4.2 innings of work with five strikeouts, and he allowed just two hits and two earned runs. Jared Crandall worked two full innings in relief and racked up three strikeouts without giving up an earned run.

Taylor's seven-eight-nine hitters in the batting order produced five of the team's seven hits, with Singleton and Caruso both finishing their days with two base knocks.

TU (0-1) continues the four-game series with OUAZ on Friday, Jan. 26, with games two and three scheduled to be played as a double-header. First pitch Friday is slated for 1 p.m. eastern.