Trojans Total 24 Runs in DH Sweep of Redhawks

MESA, Ariz. – No. 9 Taylor completed a dominant sweep of Benedictine Mesa on Saturday with back-to-back victories at Mesa High School, improving to 6-0 for the first time in six seasons. The Trojans posted an 11-1 victory in the opening game before closing the series with a 13-3 win, scoring 12 of their 24 combined runs in the first inning of the two contests.

Taylor has outscored opponents 83-10 through six games while collecting 80 hits, including 15 doubles and 10 home runs. The Trojans have scored 11 or more runs in five of their six victories.

Taylor's pitching staff allowed just five hits total through both games of Saturday's doubleheader against the Redhawks, including a combined one-hitter in Game 1. Jake Boyer stepped up with 5.1 shutout innings of relief to earn his first win of the season. The senior right-hander struck out four and retired the final 11 batters he faced, with the only two runners to reach safely coming off an infield single and fielding error. Freshman Hunter Doran closed the door in the seventh in his second appearance.

In Game 1, the Trojans jumped on the Redhawks early with five runs on six base knocks in the first inning. Fletcher Roemmich, Luke Sutter and Jordan Malott singled to load the bases before Sam Gladd reached on a fielder's choice as Roemmich scored. Ben Kennedy singled to score Sutter, and Rylee Singleton delivered a two-run single to make it 4-0. Quinn Kunkel capped the frame with an RBI double for a 5-0 advantage.

The Trojans added a run in the second when Gladd walked with the bases loaded after Roemmich reached on an error. Taylor pushed across a run in the fourth when Singleton reached on an error that scored Brayden Manning, then added three more in the fifth. Manning tripled to center to score two runs, and Kennedy followed with an RBI double for a 10-1 cushion.

Kunkel led off the sixth with a solo home run to complete the scoring – his first collegiate long ball.

Roemmich finished 3 for 5 while Manning went 2 for 4 with a triple. Kennedy added two hits and two RBIs while Singleton drove in three runs. Kunkel collected two hits including the home run and double.

In Game 2, veteran hurlers Wes Hunt, Gage Gongwer and Nathan Frady combined for eight strikeouts and a pair of earned runs on four hits. Hunt made his second start on the mound and registered three punchouts in four innings, earning his first win of the campaign. Gongwer struck out four batters across two frames, while Frady took over in the final inning.

Taylor's offense again struck quickly in the first inning with seven runs. Roemmich singled and Sutter doubled before Manning reached on catcher's interference to load the bases. Malott drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly before Gladd singled to reload the bases. Kennedy walked to force in a run, and Kunkel followed with an RBI single. Luke MacDonald delivered a two-run single that scored two more on an error, and Peter Ensign capped the frame with a two-run double for a 7-0 lead.

Gladd led off the second inning with a solo home run to extend the advantage to 8-0, inching the senior left-handed slugger up the TU all-time home run chart, now just two shy of second place with 39 career blasts.

Benedictine Mesa scored an unearned run in the third before Jackson Rochin homered in the fifth to cut the deficit to 8-2.

Then, Taylor answered with five more runs in the sixth. Kennedy delivered a two-run single, MacDonald added an RBI single and Singleton walked with the bases loaded to force in another run. Roemmich capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly for a 13-2 cushion.

Roemmich, Sutter, Gladd and Kennedy each collected two hits. MacDonald drove in three runs while Ensign and Kennedy added two RBIs apiece.

No. 9 Taylor returns to action on Feb. 12-14 with a four-game series at RV St. Thomas in Miami Gardens, Florida.