Steve Nafziger | Echo
Following a two-game split with Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday, TU softball improved to 23-8 on the season with a two game sweep of Huntington on Wednesday.
"We played well as a team all last night," said head coach Brad Bowser. "We had quality at-bats up and down the lineup."
In game one, the Trojans overcame a slow start to blow out Huntington 12-4. The Foresters scored four runs in the first two innings, but junior pitcher Hannah Klebesadel did not give up another hit after that.
The Trojans scored all 12 of their runs in the final four innings, highlighted by a six-run fifth. Ten different Trojans batted in the inning as they capitalized on five hits, marked by a two-run double by senior Caitlin Vukorpa and an RBI single from sophomore Ashley Miller.
Freshman Alex Lovelace went 2-3 with two RBIs and scored three runs, including a two-run home run that gave the Trojans the lead. Also contributing two RBIs were freshman Lauren Ehle, Vukorpa and Miller. All nine starters recorded at least one hit, and eight different players scored at least one run.
Klebesadel finished out her complete game, giving up just four hits with no earned runs while striking out two batters.
Taylor took game two 5-2, holding off a late sixth-inning rally by adding an insurance run in the bottom of the inning.
The Trojans recorded their first run of the game in the first inning after a stolen base put freshman Anna Gunderson on third. Gunderson later scored on a wild pitch. Freshman Morgan Allison also contributed in the first inning with an RBI double.
The bottom of the second inning consisted of good team play, which included a double, a sacrifice fly and three singles to give the Trojans a 4-0 lead. Taylor added one more run in the bottom of the sixth on an error, which countered the Foresters' two-run sixth.
Miller's no hitter was ruined in the top of the fifth inning by a one-out single. Recording the complete game, Miller finished with five hits, one earned run and five strikeouts.
"I worked off the momentum from the first game and once we got the early lead I was confident that we were going to play well," Miller said. "I felt good and my pitches were moving well, so that helped too."
The Trojans have now won five of their last six contests with the one loss coming by just one run to Mt. Vernon Nazarene.
"We just need to continue playing hard, stay humble and be relentless with everything we do as a team," Bowser said. "If we do that, good things will happen."
The Trojans will be back in action today in Upland as they take on Bethel in a doubleheader.
Photography by Josh Adams
