After dropping their opener against the Blue Raiders the day before, the Taylor Trojans’ rediscovered their rhythm, scoring a combined 23 runs in the final two games of the series on Saturday afternoon. Taylor won the first game 13-5 and the second contest 10-6.
Nick Rusche began game one with a double, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, as the Trojans took an early 1-0 lead.
The Blue Raiders responded with five runs in the bottom half of the first inning, as eight straight batters reached base, but the Trojans cut into the deficit in the second. Ben Kalbaugh started the inning with a solo home run, and Brett Lawson followed with a two-run blast, trimming the Lindsey Wilson lead to 5-4.
The Trojans took control of the contest in the fourth, scoring six runs to regain the advantage for good.
Noah Huseman picked up the victory, overcoming a rough start to deliver a career-high eight strikeouts.
In the second game, the Trojans scored all 10 of their runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. Lawson came away with two hits, a sacrifice fly, and five RBI. In the two-game series, Lawson went three-for-4 with eight RBI.
Kalbaugh collected three hits and two runs scored in the nightcap. The sophomore catcher finished the day with six hits in the two contests.
Kole Barkhaus earned the victory on the mound, allowing just one hit while striking out five.