![Trojans Roll to Sweep of Spring Arbor](/images/2021-22/Softball/SB_West2_Midway.jpg)
Trojans Roll to Sweep of Spring Arbor
UPLAND, Ind. – On Monday afternoon, Taylor found its groove and swept the visiting Cougars (10-17, 4-12 CL) in Crossroads League action.
Emma West led the day offensively, reaching base five times and scoring three runs in the two games.
In game one, the Trojans got up early and continued to pour it on in a lopsided 7-2 victory.
After manufacturing a run in the first, Taylor used the long ball to extend the lead in the second. With one out, Aleyah Rastetter got hit by a pitch to set up Alexi Clay, who roped a line-drive home run just inside the foul pole in left to make the Trojans lead 3-0. The righty's home run forced Spring Arbor into an early pitching change as well.
The scoring dried up until the fifth inning, though, when TU's offense came back to life with four hits and two walks, helping four more runs cross the plate. That gave Taylor a 7-0 advantage, putting the game out of reach.
Maddi Evans (8-5) had a bounce-back performance in her game one start. Evans allowed only two runners in the first five innings, sending the Cougars back to the dugout in-order in three of those frames. Evans finished the day having pitched six innings, giving up only two runs.
The second game of the day was closer, as Taylor won 3-1 in a tightly-contested game.
The Trojans grabbed the lead in the first after West and Evans reached to start the inning. Both runners advanced on a double steal, and West was driven home on a sacrifice fly by Caitlyn Grim, giving Taylor a one run lead.
However the Cougars tied the game in the third on a long home run by Maddy Thrush.
TU responded in due time with a little small-ball to get the lead back. West started the inning with a single, and Evans moved her to second on a perfectly-laid sacrifice bunt. Ashton Whitman, then, added to her team-leading 20 runs-batted-in, when she ripped a line drive to the outfield to get the run home.
The Trojans added an insurance run in the fourth when Rastetter roped a double to right center, allowing pinch-runner, Nicole Brindle, to score from second. That gave Taylor a 3-1 and proved to be the last run of the game.
Mackenzie Noah (7-7) continued her stellar freshman season, consistently working her way out of trouble. The Cougars had a baserunner in all but one inning in game two but could only muster the one run. Despite that, Noah pitched another complete game, allowing just the one run and getting her individual record to .500 on the season.
The biggest threat came in the fifth, when the Cougars loaded the bases with nobody out. After getting a force out at home, though, a double play ended the inning and the threat.
Taylor (15-12, 12-4 CL) will be back in action on Saturday at Gudakunst Field, taking on No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan (27-5, 12-2) in Crossroads League action. First pitch between the rival schools, who are at the top of the league standings, will be at 1:00 pm.