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Greenwood Native Victoria Taylor Pitching SAU To New Heights

Sophomore is 26-0 with 1.20 ERA

BENTONVILLE (KFSM) - When Victoria Taylor signed to play softball at Southern Arkansas, coach Jason Anderson expected big things.

"We knew she threw hard, we knew she was a strikeout pitcher and had a good riseball," Anderson said. "She came in freshman year, got 18 wins for us and got a lot of strikeouts what we expected and did very well for us. I mean anytime she pitched we felt like we had a chance."

But the jump from freshman to sophomore year was jaw dropping.

"I feel like I learned a lot from my freshman year going into my sophomore year," Taylor said. "I’m way more confident just knowing that my defense is strong and offensively too I feel like we just have more drive and want to go far."

"She worked hard over the summer, she started throwing the ball a little bit harder, develop a good screwball," coach Anderson said.

That work has paid off as Taylor is 26-0 and SAU is 50-7. The Muleriders are number four in the country thanks to the Greenwood native's versatile repertoire.

"Fastball, curveball, riseball, working on a changeup but I don’t really throw that often. But I’d have to say my favorite pitch is a riseball of course like it was in high school," said Taylor.

At Greenwood, Taylor led the Bulldogs to the 2015 6A state championship and the 2016 semifinals.

"In high school I would say it’s a breeze, you could always throw it by them no worries. College you have to work harder, you have to hit your spots and know if you do miss your spots to be ready," added Taylor.

Anderson first recruited Taylor during the championship junior season at a tournament in Van Buren. The Muleriders are now reaping the benefits, and still have two more years of Taylor.

Taylor's career stats are updated as of May 3, 2018.

Victoria Taylor  W-L ERA IP ER BB K CG/SO
Freshman (2017) 18-7 1.87 168.2 45 43 177 10/4
Sophomore (2018) 26-0 1.20 174.1 30 27 191 21/6
Career (2 seasons) 44-7 1.53 343 75 70 368 31/10

 

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