TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University baseball team had to unexpectedly wait a couple weeks for its home opener, but the Tigers made it a memorable one when they finally took the field at Schuerholz Park and shut out Fordham 8-0 on Friday afternoon.
 
Josh Seils (1-2) had the strongest start of his collegiate career, going eight innings with six strikeouts in the shutout, allowing just two baserunners in his first six innings.
 
Towson scored in four consecutive innings, including three runs in each in the fifth and sixth frames, to take command of the game.
 
Key Stats:

• Seils, in his eight-inning start, had no runs allowed off five hits and two walks.  Austin Weber finished the contest with a scoreless ninth, striking out two. 
• Towson scores eight runs for the second consecutive game, matching its top offensive performance of the season.  Two Tigers, Noah Cabrera and Richard Miller, each earned home runs in the game.
• Colin Conroy completed the game at 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Brad Powers went 2-for-5 from the dish, also with a double and an RBI while Zach Piazza reached base four times off a walk and three hit-by-pitch incidents.  Miller and Tom Flacco each had two RBI.
• For Fordham, Alvin Melendez went 2-for-4, the only multi-hit day for the Rams.  Matt Mikulski (1-3) got the loss in his start, allowing four runs, just two earned, in 4.2 innings with four strikeouts and two walks.

How it Happened:

• The first three innings did not see a major threat by either team.  Towson had first and second with two out in the second, but a ground out ended the inning with no runs.
• Towson got on the board in the fourth inning on the second pitch as Noah Cabrera drilled a ball over the left field fence to make it 1-0 Tigers.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Javon Fields was hit by a pitch, stole second and took third on an error by the shortstop.  Tom Flacco brought him home next batter on a sacrifice fly to center.  The hit-by-pitches kept coming as each Zach Piazza and Cabrera got hit to put two on with two out.  The catcher, trying to pick off Cabrera at first, threw the ball into right field, allowing Piazza to score and Cabrera to take third.  Brad Powers brought Cabrera in on a double to right, giving Towson a 4-0 lead.
• Towson put three more on the board in the sixth, beginning with Colin Conroy doubling off the wall in right and taking third next at bat.  Flacco hit a grounder to first that was bobbled by the fielder, allowing him to reach and Conroy to score.  Two batters later, Richard Miller sent one deep for a two-run home run, rocketing Towson to a 7-0 lead.
• The Tigers added one more run in the bottom of the seventh off a Conroy RBI single to score Jack Rotteveel and make it 8-0 home team.
• In the top of the eighth, as his pitch count was about to eclipse the 100-mark, Josh Seils got a visit to the mound from Matt Tyner with the bases loaded and two out.  Tyner kept his starter, and his faith paid off: Seils struck out the next batter and ended the inning with the shutout intact.  Austin Weber finished the job with a scoreless ninth as Towson took the win 8-0.

By the Numbers:

• This is the first shutout win for Towson baseball since April 14, 2018, a 2-0 victory at The Citadel.  It is the first shutout victory at home since April 1, 2018, when the Tigers won 1-0 over Hofstra on a complete game win by Michael Adams.
• This is the second time in the last three years that Towson has won its home opener.
• Seils and Weber combined for Towson's other victory, at Kennesaw State on Feb. 23.  That day, Seils and Weber combined for two runs allowed in 10 innings, with the latter getting the win.

Up Next:
Towson will be back at Schuerholz Park tomorrow at 3 p.m. to play Cornell.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –