Seventh-Inning Surge Salvages Split Against Spring Arbor

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – A three-run seventh in the season-series finale saw Taylor win 6-3 to earn a split against Spring Arbor on Saturday after dropping a 2-1 nail-biter in the opener.

Madisyn Standridge went 4-4 in the nightcap, as the top four in the lineup for TU combined for eight hits, four runs scored, and five RBI to pace the offensive attack.

The Cougars knotted the game at three in the sixth to set up a dramatic finish. A walk was sandwiched between two outs before the middle of the lineup came up and delivered a trio of singles to drive in two runs before a double steal pushed the lead to three.

Katie Kottlowski came in and, after a lead-off walk, settled down and retired the next three batters to earn her fourth save of the season, and seventh of her career, putting her into second in program history.

The Trojans grabbed the lead in the third after Standridge laced a triple to right-center field to drive in a run. The triple was Standridge's fifth of the year, matching the single-season program record. Livie Lehmann drove a single to left to plate her classmate and reached 50 RBI after another RBI single in the seventh.

Another run crossed the plate in the fifth for Taylor (24-14, 13-11 CL) before Spring Arbor drove in a pair on a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to one.

Mackenzie Noah (9-5) did a formidable job inside the circle to earn her second win in as many days. The senior pitched six innings of three-run ball, with a pair of strikeouts as she gets within reach of the program record of innings pitched, sitting just five-and-a-third away.

The offense struggled to get going in the opener, with Grace Mullins single up the middle in the third, the only base knock in the first five frames.

Spring Arbor (16-21, 8-18 CL) took advantage of an error in the second to score a run before doubling the lead in the fourth on a two-out RBI single.

The Trojans found some success in the sixth with a two-out rally by the middle of the order. Lehmann ripped a single before Kaylee Larkin blasted her tenth double of the season to halve the deficit, but a pop-up ended the rally before Taylor could tie it up.

Delaynee McCreary reached on an infield single to begin the seventh, but a failed sacrifice bunt attempt left her in no man's land, and she was picked off before two more outs ended the contest.

Claire Cullen was stellar inside the circle in the opener, keeping Taylor within striking distance with six innings pitched and two runs allowed. The freshman fanned four and allowed seven baserunners in another quality start.

Taylor begins a busy week with a road matchup against cross-county rival No. 13 Indiana Wesleyan (29-5, 19-3 CL) on Monday, April 14, with first pitch set for 4:00 pm.