Steve Nafziger | The Echo
TU softball made history in Waleska, Ga., during the NAIA tournament where the Trojans recorded their first win on the national stage in program history. Taylor dropped the first game of the tournament to Biola before beating Georgetown in the second game. Taylor was eventually eliminated by another loss to Biola.
"I am proud of the way we competed as a team," said head coach Brad Bowser. "This group of very talented, hard-working players has a desire to play at the highest level and wants to compete against the best players in the country."
The Trojans hoped to swing the bat like they did in the Crossroads League Tournament, when they scored five or more runs in each game before entering the NAIA Tournament. The No. 12 Biola Eagles had other plans as they shut out Taylor in the first game 4-0.
The game remained scoreless after three innings before the Eagles got on the board in the fourth inning following back-to-back walks given up by junior Hannah Klebesadel. Biola plated three before the Trojans could get out of the inning behind pitcher Hannah Robbins.
Freshmen Alex Lovelace and Lauren Ehle led the Trojans offensively as Lovelace hit a double to deep center in the sixth and Ehle went 2-3 in the shutout.
Taylor went in the record books on the second day of the tournament as the Trojans defeated Georgetown in extra innings by a score of 4-3.
Georgetown got out to an early 2-0 lead before the Trojans recorded one run in the third, fourth and sixth innings, tying the score as regulation came to a close.
Senior Karon Earley was the hero of the eighth inning. A double down the left-field line from Early that scored sophomore Mackenzie Hiers was all it took for the Trojans to win in walk-off fashion.
"Karon has been so good for us for four years," Bowser said. "It had to have been the highlight of her career, and that hit gave us our first national championship win, which is big for the program."
Taylor finished the season with a second loss to Biola 4-1. The Trojans ended with a 42-17 record, the best in the program's history. They set season school records in team batting average, runs scored, hits, home runs and RBIs, among others. Along with the new records came the first regular season league title, the first league tournament title since 1999 and the first-ever win in the NAIA tournament.
"Now that we have been to the national tournament, I believe this will make our team want to do that each year," Bowser said. "My hope is that it will make us work harder for each other and to want to become a better team this coming year."
With such a young squad, the Taylor softball program appears to be on the rise. The Trojans lose three players to graduation while the majority of the team will remain intact and look to continue from this record-breaking season.
Photography by Josh Adams
