Trojans Fall 6-5 in 11 Innings
March 26, 2009
After being rained out on Wednesday, the Taylor baseball team and Reinhardt College made the most of their makeup date going 11 innings on Thursday. Taylor lost the extended game, 6-5.
The game was tied at two runs apiece after four innings. In the top of the fifth the Trojans took advantage of base hits by Michael Nassar, Paul Passiales and Taylor Kinzer and an Eagle error to score two runs and take a 4-2 lead. However, the one runner left on base proved to be costly as Taylor wouldn't cross the plate again until the ninth inning.
The Eagles scored off a home run in the sixth and then crossed two more in the eighth where they recorded three of their game's eight hits. Trailing by one run in the ninth inning, senior Matt Maple blasted a two-out triple to right center and put the Trojans in scoring position. Junior Michael Kraynak then stepped to the plate and knocked in the game-tying run with a single to left field.
Taylor came up empty handed in the next two frames before Reinhardt junior Joe Neihoff connected on an RBI walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th.
Sophomore Chris Howell got the start on the mound for the Trojans and gave up five runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings. The team's strikeout leader recorded a season high eight strikeouts with no decision. Kraynak pitched the final three innings in relief and was tagged with the loss after giving up the game-winning run to the Eagles in the bottom of the 11th.
Eight Trojans recorded hits on the day, but first baseman Ryne Otis led the way going 2-for-3 from the plate and drawing two walks.
Taylor (14-8) wraps up its Spring Break trip at University of Cumberlands in Kentucky with a doubleheader on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Trojans were originally scheduled to play at Atlanta Christian on Friday, but that game was cancelled due to rain.