Noah Gem Completes Pair of CL Victories Against Huntington
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The Trojans overcame a late comeback in the opener before a Noah gem for a pair of Crossroads League victories on Friday night against Huntington on the road.
The Trojans scored the game-winning run in the top of the sixth of the opener after Huntington scored four runs to knot the game at six. Kaylee Larkin reached and crossed the plate for the third time on a Delaney Barton double.
Katie Kottlowski (3-3) then came on in relief and pitched two scoreless innings for her first save of the season.
Taylor got to work quickly, plating three runs in the opening inning of the first game. Aleyah Rastetter laced the first of a pair of doubles on the day to climb to fourth in program history with 44, and after two more batters reached, Jersey Tannehill laced a triple to right to drive in a pair before crossing the plate herself on a knock by Delaynee McCreary.
The Trojans extended their lead in the top of the third when Larkin led off the frame with a double to left center and scored when Barton delivered a clutch two-out single through the right side of the infield.
An error opened the door for Huntington (11-11, 3-5 CL) to get back into the game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth to halve the deficit.
TU (13-11, 5-5 CL) on a duo of errors by the Foresters to plate two more runs in the top of the fifth to stretch the lead to 6-2, the largest of the game.
Mackenzie Noah was dealing in the nightcap, tossing a complete game while allowing only a single run on a minuscule 65 pitches. Noah was efficient, surrendering only three this and a walk throughout the contest, with just one batter reaching base in the final four frames.
The decisive runs came in a big top of the fifth for TU. Madisyn Standridge launched a solo home run to begin the inning and give Taylor a 2-1 advantage. With two on and two out, Tannehill delivered a clutch single to drive in Rastetter. Hannah Pack followed with a double for her second and third RBI of the contest and then Emily Guthrie continued the clutch two-out hitting with a triple to right, which plated Pack for a 6-1 lead.
The Foresters struck first in the nightcap with a run in the second inning but could not hold off the explosive Taylor offense for long.
The Trojans knotted the game at one with a run in the fourth before the five-run fifth put the game well in hand for TU.
Taylor will look to keep its momentum going into a doubleheader with Grace (5-9, 1-5 CL) on Tuesday, March 26, with the first game of the twin-billing set to commence at 3:00 pm.