Pitching, Defense, and Big Innings Lead to Sweep of Bethel

UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor (19-13, 11-7 CL) played two clean games with an outstanding combination of pitching and defense to sweep Bethel by scores of 9-1 and 3-0 on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Gudakunst Field. 

Mackenzie Noah delivered her fourth shutout of the season and seventh of her career in a 3-0 win. Noah began the game by retiring ten straight batters before getting some help from her defense. The Pilots recorded their first two hits in the fourth, and with two on and two out, Delaynee McCreary made a diving catch in left to end the threat. The junior threw under 70 pitches to complete the shutout in a dominant performance. 

The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth, when Hannah Pack began a two-out rally with a single to left on a full count. Emily Guthrie came in to run, and Grace Mullins pinch-hit and drew a walk to get two runners on. Madisyn Standridge came to the plate and laced a double to the left field wall to plate both runners and scored one batter later on a single to right by Aleyah Rastetter. 

Standridge continued her brilliance with a terrific play at third the following inning, ranging to her left and snagging a grounder before spinning and showing off a cannon by getting the runner at first by a hair. 

Noah finished the contest by mowing down eight straight batters to cap an amazing day inside the circle in which she allowed just three hits and struck out a pair for her seventh victory of the year. 

Mady Foy was the ace in the first game, tossing five innings while allowing one run and striking out one. The Pilots had seven hits, but Foy continued to wriggle out of jams throughout, leaving seven runners on base in five innings. 

Bethel (8-26, 4-16 CL) loaded the bases in the first inning but was unable to plate a run and had three hits in the second to score their lone run for a brief 1-0 advantage. 

Taylor did not need a hit to even the score at one as McCreary reached on a walk and stole second before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Brooke Sanchez. 

The Trojan offense exploded in the third inning for eight runs. The first six batters reached, with Kaylee Larkin and Jersey Tannehill launching doubles to the gaps. Five runs had crossed the plate with two outs, and Rastetter walked to load the bases for Livie Lehmann, who roped a double to right center to clear the bases and put the run-rule in play. 

Foy held the Pilots down to secure her seventh win of the season and help finish the game early with TU's second run-rule victory of the season. 

Taylor is set to hit the road for a doubleheader against Spring Arbor (22-11, 14-6 CL) on Tuesday, April 9, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:00 pm.