Trojans Emerge Victorious in Crossroads League Tournament Championship

Crossroads League Championships Central

UPLAND, Ind. – The No. 18-rated Taylor baseball team completed its sweep of 2024 Crossroads League Championships by winning the championship game of the CL Tournament over Saint Francis (37-17) 7-4 in front of a packed crowd at Winterholter Field Monday evening. TU's Crossroads League Tournament title is the sixth it has won under head coach Kyle Gould, and it represents the 13th total league championship the program has claimed since 2005.

Both teams started Monday night's contest with their top pitchers in terms of earned run average on the bump, and they acted the part in the early going. Through three innings, the score remained 0-0 as the lineups were left searching for answers.

Aided by an error in the fourth frame, the third-seeded Cougars found their first answers with a two-run homer and a two-out, RBI single that gave them a 3-0 edge.

That three-run lead held up for USF heading into the fifth inning with Jake Boyer on the mound, who replaced Gabel Pentecost after the Trojan starter allowed just one earned run and got eight of his 12 outs via strikeouts. Boyer continued his pure dominance in the tournament with a scoreless fifth frame that kept the game at 3-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Luke Picchiotti got the Taylor faithful to its feet with a solo home run that hugged the foul pole in right field.

Down 4-1 in the sixth inning, the Trojans finally got to the Saint Francis starter, Graham Kelham, by drawing two walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. USF turned to its bullpen, and, with the encouragement of spirited TU fans, Brennan Frickel and Picchiotti drew back-to-back bases on balls to get the game within one, 4-3.

After retiring the only three batters he faced in the top of the sixth, Dalton Swinehart (6-5) came back on in the seventh frame and struck out the side to strand a runner at second base.

With Winterholter Field fired up, the Taylor bats came through with productive plate appearances from the bottom of the order and leadoff man Camden Knepp to fill the bases again. Mason David then hit a sacrifice fly, and Sam Gladd and Brayden Manning fired off back-to-back singles to give the Trojans a 6-4 lead.

Knepp scored on Manning's base hit, which moved the senior into a tie for the program's all-time career runs record at 215, held for the past 12 years by Taylor Hall of Famer, Ryne Otis.

Back to the action, Matt Dutkowski relieved Swinehart to begin the eighth inning and retired the Cougars in order before TU loaded the bases for the third time in as many innings in the bottom of the frame. Taylor managed one run on a plunking to Gladd to extend its advantage to 7-4.

Conner Miller entered the ninth inning in search of his second save of the season, and he got it with ease as the Trojan dugout rushed the field to celebrate its title.

TU's hurlers collectively tied their season high against CL opponents by striking out 14 hitters.

No. 18 Taylor (41-14) finds out on Thursday, May 9 which teams it will host in the 2024 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, set to be played from May 13-16.