Cullen No-Hits Knights as TU Splits with No. 20 Marian

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor University softball team hadn't taken a season series from Marian since 2014. The drought ended Tuesday as Claire Cullen threw a five-inning no-hitter in an 8-0 run-rule win in the doubleheader opener at Gudakunst Field.

It was TU's third win of the season over the Knights, who entered the contest ranked No. 20, and the Trojans clinched the series. Marian won the nightcap 8-7 after staging a late comeback, but TU (23-21, 18-14 CL) still finished 3-1 in the regular season against the nationally-ranked Knights (28-13, 20-12 CL), winning two of those by run-rule decisions.

Cullen walked two, hit two and struck out four on 80 pitches, while earning her 10th win inside the circle. The Trojans collected 12 hits off Marian starter Lexi Smith and reliever Alayna Tesnar.

Lizzy Sinders went 3-for-3 with a season-high four RBIs, Grace Mullins added three hits and an RBI, Delaynee McCreary drove in a run and Kaylee Larkin doubled and scored twice.

The Trojans scored at least once in four of their five trips to the plate in the matchup. Larkin and Mullins each produced an RBI double in the first inning to put the Trojans ahead 2-0, before Sinders delivered her first of three RBI knocks in the third frame for a 3-0 lead.

Barton's sacrifice fly pushed the margin to 4-0 in the third and three batters later, Sinders delivered a pair of runs on a two-out knock up the middle for a 6-0 lead. TU clinched the run-rule victory with back-to-back RBI singles by McCreary and Sinders in the bottom of the fifth.

The nightcap started in similar fashion when Mullins tied her season high RBI mark with a three-run double in the first. Ava Everman added a sacrifice fly, and the Trojans were quickly back in front 4-1 after an inning of play.

A Sinders double and a wild pitch in the second inning pushed TU's advantage to 6-2.

However, the Trojans managed just one hit from the third through the fifth. MU's Mati Hughes homered in the third, and two unearned Marian runs in the fourth cut the margin to 6-5.

Marian took the lead in the sixth when Ally Malone singled home Delaney Rundle to tie it, and Mallorie Beutel doubled down the right-field line two batters later to drive in two more. Hughes added an RBI single in the seventh for an 8-6 margin in favor of the visitors.

Larkin answered with a leadoff homer to ignite a rally attempt in the bottom of the seventh. It was the senior's 10th blast of the season which bounced off the scoreboard deep in right-center field to pull the Trojans within a run at 8-7.

Then, Delaney Barton singled with two outs for her season-best third hit of the contest, but Taylor stranded the tying run at first. Marian center fielder Abbey Hofmann robbed an extra-base hit from Everman during the rally, with a leaping catch up against the fence.

MU starter Macy Coan picked up her 13th win, going the distance in the circle with 139 pitches.

Taylor travels to Saint Francis for Thursday's doubleheader before returning to Gudakunst Field on Saturday for its Senior Day twinbill against Goshen.