Trojans Piece Together Pair of Wins to Open CL Season

Broadcast Highlights | Parr Home Run - Field Level

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor baseball team (9-7, 2-0 CL) swept its Crossroads League-opening doubleheader on Friday at Winterholter Field, as it defeated Saint Francis (9-5, 0-2) by scores of 5-4 and 15-1.

A leadoff walk issued to Camden Knepp hurt USF in the first inning of game one, with Mason David delivering a two-out, RBI single that scored Knepp. TU then went ahead 2-0 on a balk, marking the third time in two games the Trojans have benefited from a balk.

The score stayed at 2-0 until the bottom of the third inning, when a walk and hit batsmen proved costly after an error by the Cougar second baseman plated two more runs.

Leading 4-0, the Trojans and Gabel Pentecost ran into trouble in the top of the fourth frame when three hits, a walk and hit-by-pitch made it 4-2 with two outs, the bases loaded and USF's cleanup hitter at the plate. David, playing third base, made the play of the game at that moment, however, with a full-extension, leaping grab on a line drive to the hot corner that ended the inning and preserved the two-run advantage.

As both teams worked around control issues throughout the game with the chilly temperatures, USF finally took advantage again in the top of the seventh inning to even the game at 4 apiece. Not to be outdone, pinch-hitter Luke Sutter made sure the Trojans also took advantage of a walk and wild pitch in the bottom of that seventh frame with an infield single to pull the Trojans back ahead, 5-4.

Dalton Swinehart was tasked with getting a two-inning save, and he came through by allowing just one man to reach base while striking out three in two scoreless innings to pick up his second save. Jack Ross (1-0) got the win for his one inning of work in the seventh frame.

Taylor drew 10 walks in game one, helping it score five runs despite getting just three hits (all singles), one of which was Kaleb Kolpien's 200th career base knock.

Starting pitcher Matt Dutkowski toed the rubber in game two, and the senior was excellent in six innings of work as he picked up the win to improve to 2-2 on the season. Dutkowski allowed just three hits and one run, and he struck out nine Cougars in a return to his dominant form.

Offensively, the Trojans got a major lift in the bottom of the second inning when Cal Parr launched a three-run homer to left field to give Taylor a 3-0 cushion. TU added a seemingly important insurance run in the fifth inning on a double to center by Kolpien that made it 4-1.

The Trojan lineup then came to life in the sixth frame as the wheels simultaneously fell off for USF in an inning that featured seven walks, five hits, four pitching changes, two errors and two wild pitches as 11 runners came around to score to make it 15-1. Reliever Gage Gongwer closed out the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Kolpien led the lineup with three hits and three RBIs between the two games, and Knepp notched five walks and a hit to reach base six times on the day.

Taylor continues its home-and-home series with Saint Francis on the road on Saturday, March 2. First pitch of game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 noon.