Trojans Triumph Over Titans for Ninth-Straight Victory

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Taylor continued its hot start to the season with another terrific offensive display to secure a sweep over IU South Bend by the scores of 9-7 and 8-4 at Grand Park on Friday evening.

Katie Kottlowski (2-1) took home the victory in the opener after firing two and two-thirds innings of relief. The lefty allowed a single unearned run and struck out a pair of Titans, as she had some of her best stuff inside the circle this season.

The offense got the ball rolling in the second inning, with Brooke Sanchez driving in the first run on a sharp single that ricocheted off the pitcher. Jayci Kitchen followed with a shot up the middle to plate another run before Madisyn Standridge delivered a single to drive in a pair of runs.

Taylor grabbed its largest lead of the day after scoring a pair in the bottom of the fourth when Kitchen crossed the plate on a triple down the left field line by Standridge, who then scored one batter later.

IU South Bend (2-8) capitalized on a pair of miscues in the field and knotted the contest at seven with six runs on five hits and a walk.

Livie Lehmann continued her torrid season with her first-career triple to lead off the sixth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Delaynee McCreary. Bella Browning drove in an insurance run with a two-out single to center.

The nightcap followed a similar script, with TU getting on the board first with a monster home run by Lehmann, who leads the Crossroads League in home runs and RBI, with five and 20, respectively.

Taylor capitalized on a pair of double steal attempts in the bottom of the second, seeing Browning and Meg Stanley cross the plate before McCreary delivered another RBI knock in the third to extend the lead to 5-0.

Claire Cullen (4-0) was mowing down the Titan batters through four innings, holding the visitors hitless while facing the minimum 12 batters. Cullen finished the night with a complete game victory for her fourth this young season, recording three strikeouts and surrendering four runs.

Another big fifth inning by IU South Bend put the result in question before an immediate response in the bottom half of the inning saw Taylor score on a pair of squeeze bunts.

Kitchen led the squad with four runs scored throughout the twin-billing while she and Lehmann both recorded four hits in another outstanding performance from the dynamic Trojan offense.

Taylor (9-1) plays a doubleheader on the road against Northwestern Ohio (3-4) on Saturday in its final non-league games, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm.