TOWSON, Md. - Senior rightfielder Kevin Collins led off the bottom of the tenth inning with a triple and scored the game-winning run as the Tigers (7-20, 4-5) overcame a ten-run deficit to edge Georgia State University (14-13, 2-3) by a 19-18 margin in the second game of their three-game Colonial Athletic Association weekend series at John B. Schuerholz Park on Saturday afternoon.
For the Tigers, who tied the game with a five-run ninth inning rally, it marked the second game in a row that they came from behind in the late innings to beat Georgia State. In the series opener on Friday, the Tigers scored seven runs in the eighth inning to pull out a 14-8 victory over the defending CAA champions.
Collins, who led the Tigers with five hits, led off the bottom of the tenth inning with a triple off the left centerfield fence. With the infield in, junior righthander Jeremy Gazerro got the first out of the inning when he retired senior first baseman Steve Yarsinsky on a ground ball to shortstop. When junior second baseman Chris Wychock, who hit two home runs in the game, drew a walk, the Tigers had runners on first and third base and one out. After Wychock stole second base, Gazerro issued an intentional walk to freshman leftfielder Kurt Wertz to load the bases.
Gazerro almost worked out of the jam as he struck out junior designated hitter Steve Rice for the second out of the inning. However, Gazerro hit junior third baseman Austin Harclerode with a pitch on a 2-2 count, scoring Collins with the game-winning run.
When Collins crossed the plate, it put an end to a game that took four hours and 23 minutes and featured 44 base hits, 17 walks, 13 pitchers and eight home runs. Georgia State had a ten-run inning while Towson had an eight-run inning and a five-run ninth inning.
The Tigers entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by 18-13 and facing sophomore righthander Justin Malone, the Panthers' ace relief pitcher. Freshman second baseman Mike Schmidt started the inning with an infield single. When Collins singled, the Tigers had two runners on base. Yarsinsky lined a double down the rightfield line, his fourth hit of the game, driving in a run to make it 18-14. Wychock followed with a double to left centerfield, scoring Collins and cutting the deficit to 18-15 with two runners in scoring position.
Wertz's bloop single to short leftfield enabled Yarsinsky to score while Wychock had to remain at second base. Rice tied the game with a double to right centerfield, scoring both runners to make it an 18-18 with nobody out.
Gazerro came in from the bullpen and did a masterful job getting the game to the tenth inning. After Rice advanced to third base on a wild pitch, the Panthers pulled their infield in. Gazerro struck out Harclerode on a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Then, he retired freshman catcher Andrew Parker on a ground ball back to the mound. After issuing an intentional walk to sophomore centerfielder Ben Winter, Gazerro pitched out of the jam by getting Schmidt to ground out to shortstop.
Junior righthander Drew Permison, the Tigers' eighth pitcher of the game, came out of the bullpen to pitch the tenth inning for the Tigers. After striking out the first two hitters, he walked junior leftfielder Ryan Fleming on four pitchers. However, pinch runner Brett Maxwell was thrown out at second base as he tried to steal, thanks to a fine throw by Parker.
"In the words of my good friend Yogi Berra, it ain't over until it's over," said Towson Coach Mike Gottlieb. "Our guys did a great job coming back. No matter what the score, we just kept playing and we were able to pull one out."
The Panthers, who pounded out 20 base hits and hit six homers in the game, enjoyed a ten-run fifth inning when they sent 15 batters to the plate. Georgia State scored in every inning from the fifth to the ninth inning but it wasn't enough to overcome the Tigers' rally.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Tigers got off to a fast start as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Winter led off with a single to leftfield. On a 3-2 pitch and Winter running, junior shortstop Nick Natoli doubled to right centerfield as Winter scored all the way from first base. Collins gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead when he followed with a single to centerfield, scoring Natoli. Yarsinsky kept the rally alive when he lined a double to leftfield, sending Collins to third base. After junior righthander Charley Olson struck out Wychock for the first out, Wertz grounded out to second base as Collins scored to make it a 3-0 lead. Olson escaped the inning without any further damage when he retired sophomore designated hitter Brian Wyman on a ground ball to third base.
The Panthers took advantage of a Tiger error in the second inning to cut their deficit to 3-2. Senior third baseman Bradley Logan opened the inning with a single to left field. Fleming hit a sharp ground ball to Natoli at shortstop, an apparent double play ball. But Wychock dropped Natoli's throw for an error and the Panthers had two runners on base and no outs. When sophomore Joey Wood followed with a bunt single, Georgia State had the bases loaded and no outs. Junior second baseman Rob Lind drove in the first run of the inning when he singled to left. Junior catcher Shane Hammond trimmed the deficit to 3-2 when he hit a sacrifice fly to Winter in centerfield. Senior righthander Nate Curd helped his own cause when he picked Wood off second base for the second out.
In the bottom of the second, the Tigers added two more runs to increase their lead to 5-2. Harclerode led off the inning with a single to right field. With one out, Winter drew a walk. An infield single by Natoli loaded the bases. Then, Collins followed with a double to left centerfield, scoring two runs and giving Towson a 5-2 lead. Olson regrouped with runners on second and third. He retired Yarsinsky on a short fly ball to right and struck out Wychock to end the inning.
Both Curd and Olson settled down after the second inning. Curd shut out the Panthers over the next two innings and took a 5-2 lead into the fifth inning.
In the fifth inning, the Panthers sent 15 batters to the plate as they erupted for ten runs to take a 12-5 lead. Lind started the inning when he blasted a solo home run over the left centerfield fence. His fourth homer of the season cut the Tigers' lead to 5-3. Hammond followed with a double off the left field fence. A single by junior rightfielder Jonathan Kolowich put runners at first and third with no outs. Junior centerfielder Mark Micowski drove in Hammond to make it a 5-4 lead with an RBI single, the Panthers' fourth hit in a row. On a 3-1 pitch, sophomore first baseman Brandon Williams launched a three-run homer over the left centerfield fence to put Georgia State ahead, 7-5.
After senior shortstop Carl Moniz was retired on a ground ball to second base, Logan blasted a long home run over the centerfield fence for an 8-5 lead.
After Logan's homer, freshman righthander Mike Volpe relieved Curd. Volpe hit Fleming, the first batter he faced, with a pitch to keep the rally going. A walk to Wood put two runners on base with one out. When Wychock made an error on a ground ball by Lind, Fleming scored to make it a 9-5 lead. Hammond followed with a two-run triple deep to right center, giving the Panthers an 11-5 advantage. Kolowich's single to left field drove in the tenth run of the inning, putting Georgia State ahead by 12-5. After Micowski struck out, Williams drew a walk and Volpe was relieved by freshman righthander Sean Thompson. He ended the long fifth inning by retiring Moniz on a ground ball to Wychock at second base.
In the sixth inning, Fleming gave the Panthers a 13-5 lead when he smashed his 11th home run of the season over the left centerfield fence. It was his third homer in two games against Towson. Wood and Lind followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third base. After Hammond struck out, Wood and Lind pulled off a double steal, giving the Panthers a 14-5 advantage. The Panthers proceeded to load the bases when Kolowich and Micowski drew back-to-back walks. Junior righthander Charlie Cononie came out of the bullpen to strike out Williams, ending the inning.
Georgia State took advantage of Cononie's control problems in the seventh inning to add another run. Moniz led off the inning with an infield single before Logan struck out. Then Cononie walked Fleming and Wood to load the bases. A bases-loaded walk to Lind drove in another run to make it a 15-5 lead. However, Cononie struck out Hammond for the second out before retiring Kolowich on a fly ball.
Trailing by 15-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, the Tigers exploded for eight runs to get back in the game. Wychock led off the inning with a long home run to centerfield, making it a 15-6 lead. After a single by Wertz, Rice was retired on a line drive to shortstop. Harclerode's double to right center scored Wertz to cut the deficit to 15-7. At that point, sophomore righthander Nick Squeglia relieved Olson.
A walk to Parker and a single by Winter loaded the bases for Schmidt. When Schmidt walked on four pitches, the Tigers trailed by 15-8. The lead was cut to 15-9 when Collins grounded into a force play for the second out. A single by Yarsinsky drove in Winter and made it a 15-10 lead. Moments later, Wychock unloaded his second home run of the inning, a three-run blast over the left centerfield fence to cut the deficit to 15-13.
With his second homer of the seventh inning, Wychock became only the third Towson baseball player to hit two home runs in one inning. The feat was also accomplished by Alex Yost in 1991 and Brian McKenna in 2003.
With their lead cut to 15-13, the Panthers went to the bullpen again as junior lefthander Theo Asher came in to pitch. Wertz greeted him with a single to right. However, he struck out Rice to end the inning.
In the eighth inning, the Panthers extended their lead to 17-13 when Micowski drew a leadoff walk and Williams blasted his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to left. However, sophomore righthander Sean Bertrand came out of the bullpen to hold the Panthers.
After Asher retired the Tigers in order in the eighth inning, Lind led off the ninth inning with his second home run of the game to give the Panthers a seemingly safe 18-13 lead.
That set the stage for the Tigers' stunning comeback.
Collins led the Tigers' 24-hit attack with the first five-hit game of his career. He went 5-for-6, scored four runs and drove in four runs to lead the Tigers. Yarsinsky, who extended his hitting streak to 18 games, went 4-for-7 with two RBI's while Wychock was 3-for-6 with two homers, a double, and five RBI's.
Winter also had three hits and walked twice. He scored three runs while Wertz had three hits and two RBI's. Harclerode added two hits, scored two runs and had two RBI's.
Permison, who evened his record at 2-2, picked up the win by pitching a scoreless tenth inning.
Lind led the Panthers with four hits, including two home runs. He scored three runs and had four runs batted in. Micowski reached base five times with three hits and two walks. He scored two runs. Williams had five RBI's as he went 2-for-6 with a pair of homers. Hammond had two hits and drove in three runs.
Georgia State drew ten walks off Tiger pitching.
Towson and Georgia State conclude their wild three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Schuerholz Park.
