TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University baseball team (4-26) played a wild, back-and-forth mid-week game against Bucknell (10-24) on Tuesday afternoon, coming up just short in a 9-8 defeat.
 
Towson led 8-5 after five innings, scoring multiple runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Bucknell scored four in the sixth and held the advantage the rest of the way despite the Tigers getting two on and one out in the ninth.
 
Key Stats:

• Towson outhit Bucknell 11-10 in the game with four Tigers earning multi-hit performances.
• Nick Brown notched three hits in five at-bats, including his first career collegiate home run with a two-run dinger in the fifth.  Zach Piazza finished 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and three RBI while Javon Fields hit 2-for-4 with two runs, a walk and a stolen base.  Noah Cabrera reached base four times off two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, notching two RBI.
• Dallas Repine left with the lead in his start, going a career-best five innings with five runs, four of them earned, with three strikeouts.  The loss went to Cam Clark (0-2) with four runs, three earned, in the sixth.  Matt Watters, Jake Pecilunas and John Cranston combined for 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
• Five of Bucknell's seven RBI came from JohnPaul Bell, who was 2-for-5 with two stolen bases.  Starter Jake Simpson had a no decision, allowing six runs in 3.1 innings.  Nicholas Sadd (2-1) got the victory with two runs in 2.2 innings pitched with Andrew Funovits getting a save with three scoreless innings.

How it Happened:

• Bucknell scored twice in the opening frame, taking advantage of two infield hits with an RBI reach on error and sacrifice fly to lead 2-0.
• Javon Fields used his wheels to score in the bottom of the first, walking then stealing second.  After taking third on a passed ball, he scored on a Zach Piazza sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
• Bucknell got the run back in the top of the second as Brendan Lowery scored off a throwing error to push Bucknell up 3-1.
• In the third, back-to-back singles from Piazza and Brad Powers put two on.  Noah Cabrera flew a single to right to bring in Piazza.  Next batter, Trent Gast-Woodard reached on an error at short, allowing Powers to score, making it a tie game.
• Next inning, Towson pieced together three consecutive hits, a Fields single, a Dirk Masters single and a Piazza double down the left field line, to score twice.  Two batters later, Cabrera singled again, this time to center, to bring in Piazza.  Towson led 6-3 after four.
• The Bison loaded the bases with no out in the fifth, bringing two home on a single down the right field line by JohnPaul Bell to bring Bucknell within one.
• Towson answered in the bottom of the fifth.  With Isaiah Winikur on first, Nick Brown blasted a ball over the left field fence for his first collegiate home run, putting the Tigers up 8-5.
• The visitors took the lead in the sixth with four runs, including another two-run single by Bell, to lead 9-8.
• The pitching locked down the rest of the way, with Jake Pecilunas and John Cranston holding down Bucknell to the ninth.  Towson picked up a Brown single and Fields hit by pitch for first and second with one out, but the Bison induced a strikeout and ground out to end the game with a 9-8 Bison win.

Inside the Numbers:

• Brad Powers has reached base in his last 10 games while Zach Piazza has hit safely in his last four contests.
• John Cranston has pitched in each of the last seven Towson games.

Up Next:
Towson wraps up the six-game homestand tomorrow with a 3 p.m. game vs. George Mason at Schuerholz Park.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –