Coach Bellinger Earns 100th Win in League Split
BOT 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#RV Mount Vernon Nazarene | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 0 |
Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Game 1
Game 1
Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#RV Mount Vernon Nazarene | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Taylor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | X | 3 | 8 | 0 |
UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor's head coach Erin Bellinger earned her 100th win Friday afternoon. Bellinger, in her fourth season at Taylor, has an overall record of 100-49 including the program's single-season win record of 43, set last season.
Taylor (10-11, 7-3 CL) grabbed the game-one victory 3-0, led by the arm of Maddi Evans and some late clutch hitting. The victory ended RV Mount Vernon Nazarene's 15-game winning streak, giving the Cougars their first league loss as well.
Evans (6-4) was near-perfect in the circle, facing two more than the minimum batters. Evans totaled seven strikeouts, as she confused the RV Mount Vernon Nazarene batters throughout the game.
Evans breezed through the first three innings without allowing a baserunner. After allowing a double to lead off the fourth, the senior shut the door on the only opportunity for the Cougars (19-3, 9-1 CL). The righty hurler struck out two dangerous hitters in the middle of the order, with a runner on third and one out to escape the inning.
The TU offensive continually threatened, having a runner in scoring position each of the first four frames, but failing to capitalize until the fifth. Emma West reached on an infield single, one of her team-high three base knocks in game one, to get the inning started. After one out, Ashton Whitman roped a single down the left field line to put West on third. Caitlyn Grim sent a fly ball to deep center that was kept in the field by the wind, but was deep enough to score West from third and give the Trojans the lead.
TU was hanging on to the slimmest of leads in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Alexi Clay reached based and Nicole Brindle pinch ran for her, setting up Aleyah Rastetter. Rastetter belted a two-run bomb to left field, giving Taylor some breathing room with a 3-0 lead.
The weather started to perk up in game two, giving the fans some sun to enjoy.
The Trojans struggled in game two, falling 6-0 while mustering a single hit in the game. The Cougars plated runs in the first four innings to grab a 5-0 early lead.
Rastetter shined in the circle, tossing three and a third innings of one run ball in relief for the Trojans.
Due to weather, the originally scheduled away doubleheader Saturday against Bethel (3-15, 2-8 CL) will be played at Taylor. The first pitch will be at 11:00 am, at Gudakunst Field, in Upland Ind.