HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. ? Junior third baseman Steve Yarsinsky blasted two home runs and drove in a career high seven runs as the Tigers (24-21, 9-9) handed Hofstra University (7-30, 3-18) a rain-shortened 17-1 Colonial Athletic Association loss in the third and final game of their three-game weekend series at soggy University Field on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, the Tigers took two out of three games from the Pride. After pounding out seven home runs in the series opener, a 17-8 victory, the Tigers dropped a 16-7 decision to the Pride on Saturday.

In the series finale, the Tigers banged out 17 hits, including four homers. In the three-game weekend series, the Tigers batted .382 as a team and belted 12 homers. The Tigers now have 82 home runs in 45 games this year.

 While the Tigers were scoring 17 runs off three Hofstra pitchers, sophomore righthander Spencer Patton turned in a tremendous effort in relief. He pitched five shutout innings and allowed just one base hit. He did not walk anyone and struck out seven as he earned his first victory of the season.

In a game played in a steady rain for the most part, Towson took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, scoring a pair of unearned runs. With one out, sophomore designated hitter Austin Harclerode reached on a throwing error by shortstop Chris Mentrasti as he went to second base. When sophomore second baseman Chris Wychock followed with a double to left centerfield, Harclerode scored the first run of the game. With two outs, senior catcher Jason Stifler delivered an RBI single to left centerfield, giving the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the second inning, Hofstra took advantage of junior lefthander Wes Shifflett's control problems. Leftfielder John Kenny led off the inning by drawing a walk. After he moved to second base on a wild pitch, he stole third base. When Stifler's throw was wild, he came around to score Hofstra's first run of the game. Shifflett's control problems continued as he walked centerfielder Nick Panzarella with one out. However, Stifler threw out Panzarella as he tried to steal second base. After senior catcher Elliott Hagburg hit a bloop double to rightfield, senior first baseman Adam Perlo drew a walk. However, Shifflett retired senior rightfielder Mark Stuckless on a fly ball to centerfield, ending the inning.

In the third inning, Yarsinsky upped the Tigers' lead to 5-1 when he blasted a three-run homer to centerfield. Senior shortstop Gary Helmick started the rally with a single to left that extended his hitting streak to 15 games. After junior centerfielder Kevin Collins followed with a single to right, Yarsinsky unloaded his seventh homer of the season over the centerfield fence.

In the bottom of the third, Patton came on to relieve Shifflett and he shut out the Pride the rest of the way. A single by Panzarella in the fourth inning was Hofstra's only other hit of the game.

Helmick led off the fourth inning with a double before Kevin Collins was hit by a pitch. After Yarsinsky struck out, senior first baseman Matt Collins lined a double to right centerfield, scoring Helmick to make it a 6-1 lead. Harclerode, who batted .571 in the series, increased the lead to 8-1 when he hit a two-run single to left centerfield.

Leading by 8-1 in the sixth inning, the Tigers added two more runs. After Yarsinsky drew a leadoff walk, Harclerode blasted a two-run homer over the left field fence, giving Towson a 10-1 advantage.

The Tigers broke the game open in the seventh inning when they scored seven more runs. After Stifler led off with a single, freshman rightfielder Ben Winter followed with a single to right. When Helmick singled for his third hit of the game, the Tigers had the bases loaded with no outs. Then, Yarsinsky delivered his second home run of the game, a grand slam over the centerfield fence to give Towson a 14-1 edge. It was his eighth homer of the season and his fourth home run of the series.

After Matt Collins reached on an error and Harclerode singled, Wychock added to the rout with a three-run homer to left, his 13th homer of the season.

When Patton retired the Pride in the bottom of the seventh inning, the umpires called the game due to wet grounds.

While Yarsinsky led Towson's 17-hit assault with two homers and seven RBI's, Harclerode had three hits and four RBI's. Helmick, the second-leading hitter in the CAA with a .429 batting average, had three hits and scored three runs.

Wychock also had two hits and four RBI's.

While Harclerode led the Tigers with a .571 batting average in the weekend series, Helmick batted .533 and scored six runs. Yarsinsky batted .385 with four homers and 13 RBI's.

The Tigers, who have won six of their last eight games, return to action on Tuesday night when they visit UMBC for a 7:00 p.m. game.