It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Taft can now relate to. They fell just short of the Independence Falcons by a score of 2-1 on Thursday. Taft's defeat signaled the end of their eight-game winning streak.
Chase Phillips was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On Independence's side, Brandon Gutierrez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Independence's victory was truly a team effort as two different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Isaiah Guzman, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Taft's loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 19-10. As for Independence, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 14-16.
Taft does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Independence, they will head out on the road to challenge Mission Oak at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mission Oak is coming into the game with three straight victories at home, so Independence will have to stop a squad with plenty of momentum.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
