Trojans Hit Four Triples in Convincing Opening Day Win

 MESA, Ariz. – The No. 19 Taylor baseball team (1-0) earned an eight-inning, 11-1 run-rule victory over Benedictine Mesa (0-2) Friday evening on Opening Day at the Coach Calderone Classic.

TU saw quality performances up and down the lineup and all across the diamond in Friday's win. Those performances were headlined by eight combined innings of one-run ball from Gabel Pentecost and Dalton Swinehart, and four Trojans each notching a triple.

The four triples produced by Taylor are the most the program has gotten in a single game since March 19, 2009, versus Cincinnati Christian. Coincidentally, TU also won that outing 11-1.

Brayden Manning and Brennan Frickel drove in the team's first runs of the season in the first inning with line-drive singles.

Sam Gladd was responsible for bringing the Trojans' next three runs home between the second and fourth innings with a pair of opposite-field extra-base hits, a triple and double, respectively.

On the mound, Pentecost was on cruise control with a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, when the junior ace gave up the Redhawks' only run of the ballgame. A 6-4-3 double-play grounder ended the inning, keeping the game at 5-1 and putting Pentecost (1-0) in line for the win. Pentecost finished his day tossing five strong and picking up five strikeouts.

Though Pentecost's night was over, the Taylor lineup kept producing. Triples from Manning and Frickel accounted for another three runs, the latter two of which kicked off a five-run eighth inning where the line kept moving, primarily on bases on balls.

Swinehart, who worked scoreless sixth and seventh frames, needed a scoreless eighth to finish the job early for the Trojans, leading 11-1. The senior right-hander did just that by sending Benedictine down in order to pick up the three-inning save. Swinehart allowed one hit and faced just 10 Redhawks in his three innings of relief.

Gladd, Manning and Frickel each had multi-hit games, while freshman backstop Ryan Sommer caught all eight innings and collected his first hit, walk, RBI and run in a Trojan uniform. Luke Sutter crushed a triple in the fifth inning, though he was thrown out at home attempting to make it an inside-the-park homer. The Trojans combined for 13 walks, including two each drawn by Kaleb Kolpien, Mason David, Luke Picchiotti and Ben Kennedy.

No. 19 Taylor continues play at the Coach Calderone Classic on Saturday at Greenway High School in Phoenix, Arizona. TU faces Embry-Riddle (0-1) at 5 p.m. and No. 10 Arizona Christian (2-0) at 9 p.m., both times EST.