2023 Avista NAIA World Series – Game Seven Recap

2023 Avista NAIA World Series – Game Seven Recap

Taylor (Ind.) rides explosive offense to upset win Saturday evening

 

FINAL SCORE

No. 7 Taylor (Ind.) (42-15) def. No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett (50-7), 23-7 | Box Score

  • Taylor will play No. 3 Westmont (Calif.) (44-8) on Monday at 3:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. CT
  • Georgia Gwinnett will drop to the loser’s bracket and play No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan (40-19-1) on Monday at 8:35 a.m. PT/10:35 a.m. CT

GAME NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS

  • The action got start quickly in the third game of the day, as Camden Knepp had a leadoff double down the left line and Kaleb Kolpien drew a walk
  • Mason David’s single up the middle and Brayden Manning’s double down the right line brought it to a quick 2-0 score
  • In the bottom of the third, the Grizzlies scored three runs off four hits to take the lead – first off a solo homerun from Caden Smith; Jesus Pacheco tripled to right field, scoring the second run and Jon Ponder’s single brought it to a 3-2 score favoring the Grizzlies
  • Two innings later, GGC increased their lead to 6-2 on a monster shot from Ajay Sczepkowski to left field, scoring Kyle Norton and Ponder
  • During their next trip to the plate, Taylor snagged the lead right back with six runs of their own; A sacrifice fly and double scored the first two, leading to a Grizzlies pitching change
  • Ben Kalbaugh singled to right to score the fifth and sixth runs of the game for TU followed by Sam Gladd going yard for the 8-6 lead
  • Trailing by two, Smith hit a solo homerun to center field bringing it to a 8-7 deficit for Georgia Gwinnett
  • Drawing a walk by Kade Vander Molen and capitalizing on two wild pitches, TJ Bass scored to once again put the Trojans on top by a pair
  • In the top of the seventh, with runners on the corners, Gladd hit a sac-fly to right field which scored Manning – the first of eight runs in the inning
  • With the bases juiced, Kolpien and Molen generated consecutive RBI walks; The two out rally continued as David’s double to right center field cleared the bases and brought the score to 15-7
  • The offense continued to pour in for the Trojans as they added two more in the seventh and six runs in the next inning, taking advantage of five free bases and a throwing error
  • Taylor’s offensive output is the most since Southeastern (Fla.) scored 25 runs in 2021
  • Alec Holcomb (W, 7-2) was awarded the win and Gabel Pentecost (Sv, 4) the three inning save for the Trojans
  • David tallied seven RBI, Manning five, and Gladd four as TU combined for 18 hits and 20 RBI

 

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# NAIA #

ABOUT NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS (NAIA) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. NAIA members provide more than 77,000 student-athletes with opportunities to play college sports, earn $800 million in scholarships and compete in 28 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA