The Taylor Ducks varsity baseball team opened preseason play last week with a pair of scrimmages, facing Academy on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and Legacy Ranch on Friday, Feb. 6.
Taylor dropped both contests, falling to Academy 10-0 before losing to Legacy Ranch 8-3. Despite the results, the Ducks used the scrimmages as an opportunity to gain experience and prepare for the regular season.
Taylor pitched eight different players in the opener and had 17 players record at least one plate appearance.
Sophomore utility player Tayden Talley was the lone Duck to record a hit against Academy, finishing 1-for-2 at the plate. Talley also saw time on the mound, allowing no runs while striking out one.
Taylor struggled offensively against Academy’s pitching, striking out 13 times. The Ducks also recorded nine strikeouts on the mound but issued nine walks, which contributed to multiple runs for
Academy. Taylor showed improvement against Legacy Ranch while continuing to rotate players to evaluate its roster. An error on a ground ball off Talley’s bat produced the Ducks’ first run in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The Ducks added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder’s choice and a passed ball following a strikeout. Talley once again paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Taylor totaled four hits in the game.
Taylor again used eight pitchers, who combined to walk eight batters, allow five hits and strike out eight. Defensive consistency remains an area for improvement, as the Ducks committed seven errors across the two scrimmages.
Taylor continued preseason action against Pflugerville on Tuesday and will host Temple on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m., before opening the regular season Monday at home against the Austin Waves at 7:30 p.m.
