Behind a pitching gem from Darby Shaw and some more effective offensive production, RV Taylor concluded its season series with Benedictine-Mesa (1-3) with a doubleheader sweep on Wednesday, winning the first game 9-0 in five innings and the second contest 5-3.
Shaw (1-0) was flawless in the opener. In her second appearance of the season, the senior recorded a no-hitter, allowing just one base-runner, which came via an error, while striking out six. It was the first individual no-hitter of her career, and the first for TU since she and Jessica Doctor combined to no-hit Bethel back on April 23, 2019. Furthermore, it was Shaw’s first scoreless outing since May 1, 2019, when she pitched six unblemished frames against Goshen in the Crossroads League Tournament.
The TU bats gave Shaw plenty of support, as seven starters recorded at least one hit in the contest. Emma West continued her strong start to her freshman campaign, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Lexi Abruzzo went a perfect 2-for-2 from the dish and collected her first run batted in as a Trojan.
Taylor Wilson knocked in three runs, giving her a team-leading eight RBI on the season, Caitlyn Grim drove in a pair of runs while going 1-for-3 at the plate, and Ashton Whitman recorded TU’s first home run of the season in the fifth inning.
Taylor did not waste any time, scoring single runs in each of the first two innings to grab an early 2-0 advantage. Wilson scored West on a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Erin Cozad crossed home plate on a Benedictine-Mesa error in the following frame.
TU blew the game open in the third, scoring four runs on four hits. After Kara Tucker singled and West reached first on a fielder’s choice, Abruzzo started the rally with a bunt base hit, scoring Tucker. Wilson plated West for a second time in three innings, this time on a single, and Grim capped off the scoring with a two-run double.
The Trojans added another run in the fourth frame, and Whitman’s two-run bomb over the center field fence in the fifth helped to secure TU’s run-rule triumph.
Lauren Kanai (2-0) was effective both in the circle and at the dish in the nightcap. In her second victory of the season, Kanai pitched 6.1 effective frames, allowing just three earned runs and zero walks while striking out four. At the plate, the junior finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI, giving her seven on the young campaign.
Cassy Lewis recorded two hits in three at-bats for TU, while Wilson went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Kanai plated West in the first inning to give the Trojans an early advantage for the second straight contest, and after the Redhawks scored two runs in the bottom of the second, she helped put the Trojans back in front for good in the third. She collected a two-run triple in the frame, Taylor’s first of the season, before later scoring on a Cozad walk to increase TU’s lead to two runs.
The Trojans added one more run in the sixth inning, and held off a late Redhawks’ rally to earn their fourth victory.
