Bullpen Shuts Down Foresters as Sutter’s Walk-Off Extends Winning Streak to 10

Luke Sutter's Walk-Off Single (Video) | Video Highlights

UPLAND, Ind. – The 18th-ranked Taylor baseball team (15-4, 6-0 CL) remained perfect in Crossroads League play and extended its winning steak to 10 games overall when it took both contests of Saturday's doubleheader against Huntington (7-9, 2-4), 8-6 and 5-4.

The TU bullpen arms combined to pitch 6.1 innings between the twin bill, allowing just one run on a measly three hits and two walks against. Jake Boyer shined in the opener with three shutout innings, while Dalton Swinehart (1-1) collected his third save of the season in game one and his first win in game two.

Luke Sutter's bases-loaded, walk-off single in the nightcap put an exclamation point on Taylor's comeback from down 3-0 in the fourth inning, securing the Trojans' 10th straight victory.

Saturday's doubleheader began with starting pitcher Gabel Pentecost (5-1) working around a leadoff double to keep the game scoreless, and the Taylor lineup leading off with three consecutive singles, the last of which from Brayden Manning brought home Mason David. Kaleb Kolpien later scored on a fielder's choice to hand the Trojans an early 2-0 advantage.

Back-to-back Huntington homers helped put the Foresters ahead 4-2 in the fourth inning, but singles from Sutter and Ben Kennedy in the bottom of the frame, in addition to a walk drawn by Ryan Sommer, filled the bases with one out. David was hit by a pitch to bring in one, and Kolpien drove in two with a sharp single to right.

Facing a new Forester pitcher, the Trojans were not done yet in the bottom of the fourth, as Manning smashed a sacrifice fly to center field before Sam Gladd one-upped that plate appearance with a two-out, two-run homer over the center-field fence that made it 8-4, TU.

Pentecost ceded two runs in the fifth frame but finished the inning, which put him in position for the win and capped his line at seven strikeouts against one walk allowed. The junior's fifth strikeout of the game brought his career total to 200, a milestone that just nine pitchers in program history have achieved.

Despite the Trojan bats being silenced over the remainder of game one, Boyer and Swinehart closed the door on the Foresters with a combined four shutout innings to seal the win.

Huntington put up one run each in the first, third and fourth innings of game two against Taylor starter Brody Fine, but Kolpien started TU's climb from down 3-0 with a solo homer to center in the bottom of the fourth frame.

With runners on second and third base and two down for the Foresters in the fifth inning, Conner Miller relieved Fine – who had eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings – and swung momentum to TU's side with a strikeout that kept the Purple and Grey within striking distance, trailing 3-1.

The top of the Trojan batting order came through with thee straight two-out singles in the bottom of the frame, ending with Manning's game-tying, RBI hit that made it 3-3.

Nate Simpson brought in a run with a ground ball to give TU a 4-3 lead through six innings, but HU tied it up in the seventh and threatened to go ahead with runners on the corners and two outs. Swinehart was called upon for relief work for the second time on the day, and he induced a weakly flared ball to second baseman Fletcher Roemmich for the final out.

Still facing Huntington's starter in the bottom of the seventh, a Kolpien single and Manning double forced an intentional to walk to Gladd that loaded the bases with nobody out. Sutter then worked the count full before lacing a ball past HU's diving first baseman for the game winner.

Nathan Frady was among TU's relievers who played pivotal roles in the twin-bill sweep, as he tossed 1.1 innings, allowing just one run in the nightcap.

Kolpien had a five-hit, four-RBI day at the plate, which was nearly matched by Sutter's five-hit performance across the doubleheader.  

No. 18 Taylor looks to keep things rolling on Monday, March 10, when it plays the final two games of the series versus Huntington at Winterholter Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.