UPLAND, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) baseball team faced a tough test on the road against the nation's top-ranked Taylor University (32-3, 20-2 CL) squad on April 2, dropping both games of the doubleheader.

#1 TAYLOR 15, SAINT FRANCIS 2 - 7 INNINGS 

• Taylor set the tone immediately with a 5-run first inning.
• The Trojans added runs in the 2nd, 4th, and a 6-run sixth inning to break the game open.
• Saint Francis managed just 3 hits in the contest. Ashten Tuttle went 1-1 at the plate with a two-run home run. Andrew Zellers and Kasen Oribello both had hits, while Zellers also had a stolen base. 
• Perry Stow was credited with the loss after throwing 3.0 innings, striking out three batters and allowing eight hits and five earned runs. Micah Steury, Matthew Roettger and Nathan Bardwell combined for three strikeouts and six hits in relief. 

#1 TAYLOR 13, SAINT FRANCIS 4 - 7 INNINGS

• Saint Francis struck early with a run in the second and added two more in the fourth to stay within striking distance.
• Taylor started with a 4-run first inning and later a 5-run fourth inning to pull away.
• SF collected 7 hits and committed no errors defensively. Three Cougars had home runs in game two, including Ayden Lichtensteiger, Zavier Edgar and Tuttle. Cole Kintz went 2-4 at the plate with a run scored, while Aslan Nolan had an RBI. 
• Curtis Ellis took the loss after throwing an inning as SF's starter, collecting two strikeouts and giving up six hits and five earned runs. Andrew Onuegbu and Luke Siren combined for nine strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief. 

Saint Francis baseball (12-22, 10-12 CL) will conclude their four-game series at Taylor on Saturday, April 4, starting at 1:00 p.m.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Business and Leadership: Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.