On their final day out west, the Trojans picked up two more wins in Glendale, sweeping Arizona Christian in a two-game series on Friday. Taylor won the first game 12-11 and the second contest by a score of 6-4.
Taylor’s two week trip in Arizona was a rousing success. In their eight games, the Trojans hit .313 as a team, while racking up 71 hits, 58 runs, 16 doubles, two home runs, 35 walks, and 18 stolen bases.
The TU bats exploded in the opener, as the Trojans finished with 15 hits, six for extra bases, and scored double-digit runs for the third time on the young season. Lauren Kanai and Erin Cozad led the way for Taylor, combining for six hits, five runs scored, and four runs batted in. Kara Tucker and Maddi Evans each recorded their first two RBI of the season, Taylor Wilson went 2-for-5, plating a pair of runs, and Ashton Whitman collected two hits in four at-bats.
For the fourth straight contest, the Trojans opened the scoring in the first inning of play, grabbing a 4-0 advantage. Emma West hit a leadoff single, and two batters later, Wilson doubled her home for TU’s first run. Kanai followed with an RBI single, scoring Wilson, and Evans followed with a two-run double, plating Kanai and Cozad.
The Firestorm came storming back in the bottom of the second inning, scoring six runs, all coming with two outs.
The slugfest continued in the third and fourth innings, as the Trojans scored four runs between the two frames to regain the advantage. In the third, Tucker started the scoring with a two-run single, and Evans later scored on an Arizona Christian error. Then, Kanai hit Taylor’s second home run of the season in the fourth to give the Trojans an 8-6 lead.
Once again, the Firestorm responded, scoring five runs between the fourth and fifth frames to go up 11-8, but four unanswered runs from the Trojans in the final two innings helped them escape with the victory.
Cozad started the rally in the sixth, scoring Kanai on an RBI double, and the Trojans took the lead for good in the seventh. Jenna LaRoche scored on another Arizona Christian error, Wilson drove Tucker home with an RBI single, and Kanai capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly, scoring Lexi Abruzzo.
Cassy Lewis (1-0) and Kanai did not allow a run in the final 2.2 innings, giving up just two hits in that span.
Arizona Christian (0-2) grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the nightcap, recording a two-run home run in the first inning.
The Trojans tied the game up in the fourth, scoring a pair of runs with one out. After an Evans walk and back-to-back singles from Whitman and Tucker loaded the bases, West followed with a two-run base hit.
Arizona Christian briefly took the lead back in the fifth, but the Trojans collected four more runs in the sixth to regain the advantage for the remainder of the contest.
Kanai (3-0) recorded her third win of the road trip, striking out five in 6.1 innings of action, while Darby Shaw collected her first save of the campaign, logging the final two outs.
West finished 2-for-3 in the contest, while Kanai and Wilson combined for three hits and three RBI.
Taylor (6-2) returns to action on Friday, February 14, where they will take on Union College beginning at 1 pm.
