Though Taylor softball had a rocky start to the season, finishing pre-conference play with a 5-7 record, the team flipped the script with the start of Crossroads League play.
The Trojans have a conference record of 5-1, with an overall record of 10-8. They opened conference play on March 10 by sweeping Spring Arbor on the road 3-2 and 8-0 before clinching another pair of victories, 14-3 and 9-6, against Mount Vernon Nazarene.
The Trojans established a first-game 17-4 win but dropped game two, losing 4-0 to the Pilots.
Despite the loss, the Trojans have made a name for themselves in 2026 and aim to continue improving their conference record. Further, head coach Grace Glidewell said the pre-conference record did not accurately reflect the level the team plays at.
“We’ve just had some really, really tight games,” Glidewell said. “Five of our (eight) losses have been by one run, and then three of those have been in extra innings. So we’re getting there, and I’m hoping that as the season goes, we pull out instead of finding the losing end.”
The Trojans’ double-header against Johnson University in Tennessee demonstrated Glidewell’s point.
In the first of the two games, the Royals beat the Trojans 12-11. The purple and gray swiftly responded with a 3-2 nightcap victory.
Senior shortstop Livie Lehmann added to Glidewell’s statement, saying as conference continues, she hopes things will begin to click more consistently.
Lizzy Sinders, a freshman pitcher, said if the team is hitting well, they can beat any team in the conference.
Throughout the season, Sinders has allowed an average of 2.25 earned runs per game, with 36 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched.
“Throughout the whole game, we don’t give up,” Sinders said. “We still want to win, and we’re giving all that we got.”
This was seen not only with Johnson, but also in several other games. Against Bryan, each of their losses were one-run differentials. Versus Brescia, the Trojans lost their first game 10-2 then flipped it around for a 10-1 win.
Lehmann said hitting selflessly is valuable for any team.
“So you’re not hitting to improve your stats,” she said. “I’m not gonna go up there and get a base hit so that my stats improve. I’m gonna go up there and have a quality at-bat. And even if I get out, I’m moving a runner; I’m helping my team.”
Before entering CL play, they were on a three-game losing streak with chips on their shoulders.
“If someone beats us, we’re coming for you with guns-a-blazing,” Glidewell said.
She is working to foster a culture driven by their love for the Lord, rather than their love of the game. She said if it weren’t for God, they wouldn’t have softball anyway, so she has set a standard for the team to always give 110 percent on and off the field.
It is Glidewell’s first year with the team, and alongside her husband Matt, who works as the team’s assistant coach, they bring a passion for the game highlighted by both Lehmann and Sinders.
“Something that we say a lot right now is if you get punched in the mouth, how do you respond to that?” Glidewell said. “You turn around and punch back. So that’s kind of our mindset.”
As the Trojans continue CL play, they may get punched in the mouth, but they plan to punch back.
The team travels to Indiana Wesleyan to face their cross-county rivals on March 17 at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., before hosting Huntington on March 20 at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
