HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Towson University baseball team (12-32, 6-10 CAA) had to battle the elements in Harrisonburg on Friday night, falling late to James Madison (26-19, 7-9 CAA) 5-2 after a three-run eighth by the Dukes.
A
Zach Piazza solo home run and a
Tom Flacco score on a wild pitch gave Towson the early 2-0 advantage through five innings. JMU tied in the sixth then, after a long rain delay, rallied for three in the eighth for the victory.
Key Stats:
- Zach Piazza hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot, finishing 1-for-4. Brad Powers reached base twice on a 1-for-3 day with a walk while Tom Flacco finished 1-for-3, scoring a run.
- With a no-decision in his start, Josh Seils pitched six innings with two runs and five strikeouts. The loss went to Jake Pecilunas (2-1) in relief, going 1.1 frames with three runs surrendered. Austin Weber finished the eight inning, going two-and-a-third.
- For JMU, Kyle Novak was 2-for-3 with a walk in the third spot of the order.
How it Happened:
- Towson got on the board quickly in the top of the first as Zach Piazza hit a ball high into left field, clearing the fence for a 1-0 lead.
- In the top of the third, Towson picked up first and third with nobody out. Tom Flacco broke for home on a wild pitch, avoiding the tag and scoring to make it 2-0 Towson.
- Josh Seils started the game with five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits in that span plus picking off a runner at second to end the fourth.
- Before the rain and lightning came, JMU tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly and a run scoring on a balk. The score was 2-2 at the break.
- JMU took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, getting a bases loaded walk with one out. Next batter, Connor Hartigan ripped a single down the left field line, scoring two to push the Dukes up 5-2, the eventual final score.
Inside the Numbers:
- In-between the sixth and seventh inning was a lightning/rain delay that lasted two-and-a-half hours.
- With a walk, Richard Miller has reached base in his last 10 games while Dirk Masters extended his streak to eight contests with a hit-by-pitch.
Up Next:
Towson returns to Veterans Memorial Park tomorrow for game two at James Madison on Saturday, May 4 at 4 p.m.
- TowsonTigers.com –