Evans, Kanai Hurl Combined One-Hitter in Taylor’s CL Tourney Triumph over USF
UPLAND, Ind. – Behind a stout combined pitching performance from Maddi Evans and Lauren Kanai, No. 4 seed Taylor (40-17) stayed alive in the 2021 Crossroads League Tournament on Thursday with a 4-1 victory over No. 6 seed Saint Francis. With the win, Taylor improved its record to 40-17, its second-best single-season record in program history.
Taylor’s No. 1 and No. 2 pitcher dominated the Saint Francis lineup, combining to allow only one hit while striking out seven batters. Evans (20-4), after breaking Taylor’s single-season win record against Spring Arbor on Wednesday, became the first Trojan pitcher in program history to win 20 games in a single campaign. In four innings of work, the junior collected five more strikeouts without issuing a single walk, increasing her season strikeout total to 238.
Kanai was equally as brilliant in relief, retiring all nine batters she faced, two via strikeout, in the final three frames. Additionally, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native recorded her first save of the 2021 campaign and the fourth of her collegiate career.
Along with her effective pitching in the circle, Kanai was also the Trojans’ most efficient hitter, finishing 2-for-2 with a home run and three runs batted in. Taylor Wilson also had a strong day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Emma West and Aleyah Rastetter recorded one knock apiece.
West got the Trojans on the board in the first inning, scoring on a Saint Francis throwing error. Kanai added to Taylor’s advantage in the second frame, crushing a two-run blast, her eighth of the season, to center field, increasing the Trojan lead to 3-0.
Kanai drove in Taylor’s final run of the afternoon in the fourth inning, plating Wilson for the second time with a sacrifice fly.
The Cougars were able to get a run back in their half of the fourth on a solo home run, but Evans and Kanai shut the Saint Francis bats down the rest of the way.
Taylor was scheduled to play Mount Vernon Nazarene at 5:00 pm, but the remainder of Thursday’s games were postponed due to inclement weather.
The Trojans will now square off against the Cougars (28-11) at 1:00 pm on Friday afternoon. With a victory, Taylor would move on to face either No. 1 seed Marian (45-11) or No. 2 seed Indiana Wesleyan (42-6) at 4:00 pm with a berth in Saturday’s CL Tournament championship game on the line.
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