No. 18 Trojans’ Win Streak Halted at 11 Games in Split

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The 18th-ranked Taylor baseball team (22-10, 15-3 CL) exploded for a season-high 20 hits in a 14-2 game one victory before the bats fell silent in a 3-0 game two defeat at Huntington (17-12, 12-6) on Thursday evening.

The loss in the nightcap ended TU's 11-game winning streak, though the pitching staff continued its streak of seven consecutive games allowing no more than four runs.

The Trojans' offense, fueled by huge days from everyone batting in the top of the order, was clicking on all cylinders in the doubleheader opener as it scored in seven-of-eight innings and hit for a .500 batting average.

Through two innings, Kaleb Kolpien had a pair of hits, a run scored and an RBI while graduate-transfer Jacob Caruso launched his first career home run in a Taylor uniform as TU grabbed a 5-0 lead. The Trojans took advantage of two errors in the third inning to plate two more before the Foresters answered in the third inning to make it 7-1.

Ben Kennedy notched an RBI-double in the fourth frame before HU responded in kind to make it 8-2 through four innings. Brayden Manning got the run right back, however, with a run-scoring single – his third hit of the afternoon – to extend the lead again to 9-2.

Starting pitcher Gabel Pentecost (4-1) closed his day after the fifth inning with a final line of six strikeouts and two runs (both earned) allowed in the winning effort.

TU's lineup went back to work by scoring multiple runs in the sixth and eighth frames courtesy of a two-run double from Mason David and run-producing knocks from Manning and Rylee Singleton to make it a 14-2 game.

Reliever Jake Boyer was outstanding as he breezed through the Forester lineup with perfect sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The sophomore right-hander's performance locked up the run-rule victory and gave Boyer his first career save.

TU's one-through-four hitters beginning with Camden Knepp all had multi-hit games in the series opener, led by David and Manning's matching production of four hits and two RBIs.

Nick Crabtree took the mound for TU in game two, and he piggy-backed off Boyer's performance by starting his night with four perfect innings.

The Foresters got their first baserunner aboard via a walk in the fifth frame, but that was immediately erased when Caruso made a perfect throw down to second base to catch their pinch runner stealing. The strong-armed catcher's successful runner-caught-stealing was his 14th of the season.

Crabtree went back out for the sixth inning before running into trouble in the 0-0 ballgame, and HU took advantage of its baserunners this time around to plate three with the runs charged to both Crabtree and Jack Ross. The sophomore Crabtree ended his day going 5.1 innings with seven strikeouts against just one hit and two runs allowed.

TU's offense could not muster much of anything throughout game two as it got shut out for the first time in Crossroads League play. The one-through-four bats again were the most productive, with Knepp, Kolpien, David and Sam Gladd recording the only four hits in the nightcap.

The Trojans have a chance to get the series win on Saturday, March 30, with first pitch of the doubleheader set for 1 p.m. at Huntington.