Trojans Rally to Beat MVNU, but Season Ends in Loss to Spring Arbor

Crossroads League Championships Central | Broadcast Highlights - Mount Vernon Nazarene

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Taylor ended their season with a loss to Spring Arbor in the nightcap after a thrilling victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene to begin the day. 

Mady Foy picked up her second win of the tournament, twirling five innings in the win. Katie Kottlowski came in relief and picked up her second save of the season allowing a single unearned run in two innings inside the circle. 

Livie Lehmann began the day with a bang, lining a home run out to left center for an early 1-0 advantage for the Trojans. 

Mount Vernon Nazarene (29-21) scored a run in each of the third and fourth innings to tie and then take the lead at 2-1 going into the final three frames. 

Taylor's offense exploded in the top of the sixth, scoring five runs to take the lead back. Emri Agre started the rally with an infield single and scored one batter later as Aleyah Rastetter laced a double to the wall in right-center field to knot the game at two, as Agre scored with a terrific slide to avoid the tag at home. With two outs, four straight hits saw Taylor plate four runs to gain a comfortable lead. Kaylee Larkin blasted a shot down the left field line for her 16th double season to score Rastetter. Delaney Barton stepped up to the plate and took a high fastball to the opposite field which plated pinch-runner Meg Stanley, who had another terrific slide into home to score before Madisyn Standridge rocketed a double to the left-center gap. Jersey Tannehill finished the scoring for TU with an opposite-field single to plate Standridge. 

The Cougars punched back in the bottom of the inning and started the stanza with a home run and a pair of doubles before an out was recorded, forcing a pitching change for TU.

Kottlowski came in and got an out before a single put runners on the corners. The next batter hit a bouncer up the middle, which Kottlowski deflected, and Lehmann scooped up and stepped on second before firing a strike to turn an inning-ending double play. 

Taylor was unable to scratch across any insurance in the top of the seventh to send Kottlowski back into the circle with a two-run lead. She retired the first two batters, but a double and an error put the Cougars within one before Agre caught a foul fly ball to end the game and see Taylor advance. 

The Trojans matched up with Spring Arbor to cap the day and fell 3-1 to end the season on a sour note. 

The offense was unable to produce anything until the final frame when a rally came up short.

The first time at the plate looked bright with a leadoff double by Rastetter followed by a single from Lehmann. A line drive up the middle was snagged by the pitcher, who turned the double play and got the next batter to send TU into the field without scoring.

Spring Arbor (33-19) got two runs in the first and another in the third, which proved enough for the victory. 

Brooke Sanchez doubled in the seventh, and the pinch-runner, Maddie Schultz, scored on Agre's single to get some momentum, but Rastetter lined a shot to right center that was snagged by the right fielder for the final out. 

Foy and Larkin were named to the Crossroads League All-Tournament Team after the conclusion of games. Foy was brilliant inside the circle, tossing 18 innings and allowing three earned runs while earning a pair of victories. Larkin led the team with a six hits, tallying at least one in every contest while blasting a pair of doubles and a key three-run home run in the 5-0 win over Spring Arbor. 

Taylor finishes the season 28-27 and says goodnight to terrific careers from Rastetter and Tannehill, both of whom contributed immensely to the Taylor program throughout their time in purple and gray.