MARION, Ind. -- Indiana Wesleyan University baseball fell in both ends of a Monday doubleheader at Wildcat Field against Grant County rival Taylor (Ind.).

Taylor won the first game by an 8-5 margin and completed the sweep with a 9-4 victory in the nightcap. IWU falls to 16-28 on the season and 13-15 in the Crossroads League while Taylor improves to 28-18 and 20-8 in league action.

The first game was very competitive through five innings until a four run sixth inning for Taylor broke a 3-3 tie. The big inning chased starting pitcher Matt Blankenship (SO/Cincinnati, Ohio) who had pitched well through five innings. He finished with the loss after surrendering five runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Cody Calvert (JR/Godfrey, Ill.) hit the first Indiana Wesleyan home run of the season in the second inning off Josh DeGraaf to tie the game 1-1. Indiana Wesleyan earned another tie in the fourth inning when Cam Screeton doubled deep down the right field line. He moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on a wild pitch with two outs for a 2-2 score.

Taylor took its third lead of the game in the fifth inning with one run for a 3-2 lead. But for the third time Indiana Wesleyan tied it with one run in the home half of the fifth inning. AJ Harris (SO/Temecula, Calif.) hit a clutch two out RBI single to score pinch runner Kaleb DeFreese (FR/Bristol, Ind.).

Taylor recaptured the lead for the fourth time in the game with a four run sixth inning. That lead was too much for Indiana Wesleyan to recover from.

Calvert was 2-for-3 with a home run and one RBI while Harris was 2-for-2 with a run and two runs knocked in. Craig Nesselhuf (SO/Littleton, Colo.) reached base twice with a single and a walk.

In game two, Taylor scored once in the first inning and five times in the second inning, capped by a Jordan Coffey grand slam. Indiana Wesleyan attempted to get back into the game after the early deficit and did so with a three run second inning. Caleb Birkey (SO/Granger, Ind.) drew a bases loaded walk, Preston Fugita (JR/Littleton, Colo.) followed with an RBI single, and courtesy runner Trey Shigley (JR/Bartlesville, Okla.) scored on a dropped fly ball to account for the scoring.

The Trojans got those three runs back with two runs in the third inning and one in the fifth inning for a 9-3 advantage. The Wildcats capped the scoring in game two with a Logan Tomlinson (FR/Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) sac fly in the seventh inning.

The Wildcats outhit the Trojans 11-9 in the game, led by a three hit attack from Fugita. Tomlinson had a pair of hits as eight Wildcats in all put a hit in the box score. Cody Jones (SR/Hartford City, Ind.) took the loss on the mound as he did not last through the third inning. He gave up eight runs on five hits and four walks in 2.1 innings pitched.

Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor will complete the season series on Thursday in Upland. First pitch is at 2 p.m.