Trojans Take Pair from Indiana Tech at Gudakunst
UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor softball team improved to 5-1 on the young season with a sweep of Indiana Tech at Gudakunst Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Trojans scored 8-3 and 5-2 victories, scoring 13 runs on 16 hits in the twinbill.
The Trojans used a five-run frame in the second inning to take control of the opener, grabbing a 5-1 lead and cruising to the 8-3 victory over the visiting Warriors (0-7).
The decisive rally was fueled with free passes, as back-to-back one-out walks to Taylor Wilson and Katie Suits were followed by a hit-by-pitch to Olivia Hostetler and a run-scoring walk to Kara Tucker. An error plated the second tally of the inning and the lead continued to grow with RBI singles from Hannah Castor and Davis Carter, as well as a sacrifice fly off the bat of Courtney Moriarty.
Castor later homered and finished the contest with two hits, three RBI and a run, while Wilson also had a multi-hit game and Hostetler scored twice.
TU's tandem of Darby Shaw and Lauren Kanai combined to allow three runs on nine hits in the win, with Shaw moving to 2-0 with the victory. Shaw tossed five innings, with Kanai picking up the final six outs.
Taylor had to rally late in the nightcap to complete the sweep, using a three-run fifth to erase a 2-0 deficit and adding two more in the sixth to take the 5-2 victory.
Castor was in the middle of the rally once again, this time breaking up the shutout with a two-out single to plate Kanai to trim the Tech lead in half and later scoring with Cassie Kuizin on a go-ahead double from Moriarty.
Moriarty doubled again in the sixth, scoring Jessica Doctor, who had previously singled in Ashley Roberts, as TU picked up a pair of sixth-inning insurance tallies.
Moriarty went 2-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in to pace the TU lineup, with Castor and Doctor each scoring one run and driving in another.
Kanai (3-1) took the win by holding the guests scoreless over the final 2.1 innings, after relieving Moriarty in the circle. Moriarty opened the contest with 4.2 innings and just two earned runs allowed.
Taylor (5-1) is scheduled to host Michigan-Dearborn and Asbury on Friday and Saturday, with games starting at 3:00 pm on Friday and 11:00 am on Saturday.