Trojans Complete Four-Game Sweep of Grace

WINONA LAKE, Ind. – No. 9 Taylor opened Crossroads League play with a four-game sweep for the third time in four seasons, after winning 12-0 and 5-1 over Grace on Saturday at Miller Athletic Complex. The Trojans (16-1, 4-0 CL) combined dominant pitching with timely hitting across both contests, limiting the Lancers (5-7, 0-4 CL) to just two hits in the opener and four in the nightcap.

Taylor's pitching staff set the tone in Game 1, combining for a two-hit shutout. Nick Crabtree, making his first Crossroads League start since 2024 after missing the majority of the 2025 season, delivered three hitless innings to open the game. After issuing a leadoff walk in the first, Crabtree retired nine consecutive batters and struck out six across his three frames.

Jake Boyer followed with three innings of two-hit ball, striking out four and retiring eight in a row at one point to earn the win and improve to 2-0. Nathan Frady closed out the seventh with a strikeout in his fifth appearance of the season. Only three Grace baserunners reached all afternoon in the opener.

The Trojans broke the game open in the third inning with four runs on five hits. Brennan Frickel led off with a single, and after Peter Ensign moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, Fletcher Roemmich, Luke Sutter, and Brayden Manning ripped three consecutive hits to push the lead to 3-0.

Jordan Malott added a sacrifice fly to center to make it 4-0. Nate Simpson extended the advantage to 5-0 in the fifth with an RBI double to right, one of his two doubles on the day.

Simpson finished Game 1 with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate, marking his first three-hit performance of the season and capping an impressive five-game stretch hitting 10 for 19 (.526).

TU put the game away with a seven-run seventh inning, highlighted by Frickel's three-run triple to right field. Four walks, a hit by pitch, an error, and three hits fueled the outburst. Rylee Singleton delivered a pinch-hit RBI single, and Sutter capped the frame with an RBI single to right. Sutter finished 2 for 4, extending his hitting streak to eight games, while Frickel went 2 for 4 with the triple and three RBIs.

Grace starter Joey Diaz took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits over three innings.

The nightcap was a tighter contest, with Grace taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Carter Stogsdill singled, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cayden Calloway.

TU starter JT Tabor settled in from there, retiring eight of the next nine batters he faced after the Grace plated its lone run. Tabor earned the win with four innings of two-hit ball, striking out three, and the lone run he allowed was unearned after a throwing error.

TU eventually tied the game in the third when Malott singled home a run with the bases loaded. The Trojans then broke it open in the fourth, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs.

Frickel singled to lead off the frame, and after a walk to Kaden Wu and a Roemmich single loaded the bases, a fielder's choice, a hit by pitch, and a pair of walks pushed the lead to 5-1. A wild pitch by reliever Coletin Berger allowed Manning to score the final run of the inning.

Roemmich finished the nightcap 2 for 5, while Frickel went 2 for 4 with a double. Gage Gongwer closed the door with three shutout innings of relief, striking out four.

Grace starter Sam Justice was tagged with the loss after surrendering five earned runs on seven hits and three walks through 3.2 innings.

No. 9 Taylor returns to CL action next week at Huntington (14-1, 4-0 CL). The Foresters swept Indiana Wesleyan to begin league play, with three of the four games decided by one run.