By Will Fairfax
After many reschedulings due to cold weather, the Trojans fell to Franklin College 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader last Saturday before bouncing back with an offensive explosion to win the second game 10-0.
Sophomore Hannah Klebesadel entered a pitching duel with Franklin's McKensie Vanosdol. Klebesadel allowed just two earned runs on six hits. Unfortunately, she was outdueled by Vanosdol, who pitched a shutout, giving up only three hits.
Both teams combined for only one hit in the first three innings before the Grizzlies snagged three hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. They scored their insurance run in the sixth inning, which helped propel them to victory.
Junior Emily Tweedy and freshmen Ashley Miller and Emily Tice were the only Trojans with hits in the first game.
Taylor made adjustments in the second game, picking up their 10-0 victory in a six-inning run-rule shortened contest.
Freshman Mackenzie Hiers and Miller led the Trojans' offense with two hits each, including Miller's second home run of the year, a three-run shot. Freshman Taylor Murray drove in two hits with a single, while junior Caitlin Vukorpa added a hit and a walk for Taylor.
"It was great to be able to contribute to the team's success," Miller said. "We have worked incredibly hard during the offseason as a team, and that has set me up for what I have done so far."
Senior Holly Tomaszewski earned the victory with three shutout innings before Miller came on in relief and preserved the shutout.
Hiers said that head coach Brad Bowser and the upperclassmen have done a great job at helping the underclassmen adjust to the college game.
"Coming in as freshmen, I believe we were met with high expectations," Hiers said. "Both Coach Bowser and the upperclassmen helped us to adjust to college softball while encouraging us to play the game we already know. The other freshmen and myself have been able to step into our specific roles and play with freedom, allowing us to be successful."
In this season's doubleheaders, the Trojans have had more success in the second game. In the second game of their last three doubleheaders, the Trojans have won by a combined score of 28-0, including the 10-0 victory in last Friday's second game with Rose-Hulman.
The Trojans have had 12 games cancelled this season due to the unusually cold weather. "It's been a hard spring for coaches, for players, for ADs (athletic directors), for professors-it has just been so up and down and there has not been any flow to this season," Bowser said.
Bowser is excited to travel to Florida for spring break where they won't have to deal with the cold weather.
"The thing about spring break that's really nice is that we get to play a bunch," he said. "They'll get into a good rhythm this week and that will help them a lot to get prepared for our conference play. . . . It will be fun to get to Florida . . . and kind of get into a really good rhythm offensively."
The Trojans have been strong defensively this year, only giving up 10 runs in their last six games.
Bowser said that his team has the hitters to be successful, but that they need to be confident when they step up to the plate.
"Our sport is really unique in that way," Bowser said. "You can simulate it, but there's nothing like standing at the plate by yourself and having to handle a pitcher that you've never seen before and to make adjustments. . . . By our third or fourth at bat we're making a lot better swings, but we need to be able to do it sooner."
