HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Towson University baseball team used a pair of five-run innings in game two of a doubleheader to split the Saturday twinbill at High Point, falling in game one 4-0 then winning 12-5 in the nightcap for the first win of 2020.
 
Game one started as a pitching duel with four scoreless innings, but Towson (1-4) fell after High Point (5-2) scored a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
 
Towson scored the first 12 runs of game two against High Point, including five runs in each the second and sixth innings, and held a strong lead the rest of the way.
 
Key Stats:

• All 10 Towson batters hit safely in the second game, totaling 15 hits in the contest.
• In game two, Javon Fields went 3-for-5, racking up four RBI, two runs and a stolen base, going 3-for-8 on the day combined.  Burke Camper also had a three-hit day, going 3-for-5 and scoring twice in game two, combining for 3-for-8 on the day.  Playing in only the second game, Zach Martinez scored three times and reached base four times off a combined 2-for-3, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, also having an RBI. 
• Two Tigers earned hits in both games: Brad Powers was a combined 2-for-8 with a walk while Dirk Masters was 2-for-4, scoring a run.
• On the mound in game one, Josh Seils (0-2) got the defeat despite starting with four scoreless innings, going 5.1 frames with four runs, three of them earned, and five strikeouts.  Matt Watters finished up Towson's side, throwing 2.2 hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
• Game two saw Nick Ramanjulu (1-1) throw six scoreless innings in his start for his first-ever collegiate win, allowing just three hits and striking out four.  Through two starts, Ramanjulu has a 1.08 ERA.  Cam Clark had 1.1 hitless innings in relief, tallying a pair of strikeouts.
• For High Point batters, only one hitter, Sam Zayicek, hit safely in both contests, combining to go 3-for-8 with a run and an RBI, while Justin Ebert finished 3-for-4 with a run in the first game.  Harrison Smith (2-0) won game one with seven innings pitched without a run, striking out seven.  The loss in game two went to starter Nick Hernandez (0-1), who allowed four runs in 1+ innings pitched.

How it Happened (Game 1):

• Each starting on the hill, Josh Seils for Towson and Harrison Smith for High Point, engaged in a pitching duel to begin the game.  Seils went the first four innings scoreless, striking out four in that time.
• High Point got on the board first in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out RBI single to right by Blair Pearre to make it 1-0 Panthers.
• Towson tried to respond in the next half-inning, getting Dirk Masters and Brad Powers on with a single and walk respectively, but High Point pitched out of the inning and held the one-run advantage.
• The home team broke out in the bottom of the sixth, using four hits and a walk to score three runs, two earned, and lead 4-0.
• With Matt Watters holding down High Point in the seventh and eighth innings, Towson tried a late rally in the ninth, picking up first and third with one out off walks by Javon Fields and Colin Conroy.  High Point got out of the inning without runs allowed and held for the 4-0 victory.

How it Happened (Game 2):

• Towson attacked with small ball in the early innings.  Colin Conroy led off with a single, then Matt Arceo bunted for a single.  A double steal put the runners in scoring position.  Javon Fields hit a sacrifice fly to center to allow Conroy to score to make it 1-0 Towson.
• Next inning, Towson's bats continued to roll.  The Tigers earned singles on their first four at-bats, Noah Cabrera up the middle, Burke Camper on a hit and run to right, Zach Martinez to third to bring in Cabrera and Dirk Masters on a bunt single to third to load the bases.  Two batters later, a passed ball put a runner home, then Arceo lined out, but a successive throwing error trying to double a runner allowed Martinez to score.  The inning continued as Fields found the hole at third to put runners on the corners.  Brad Powers hit through the shift and looped a ball down the right field line for a double, scoring two runs.  The Tigers led 6-0 after the top of the second.
• Nick Ramanjulu kept control in the opening three innings, not allowing a runner past first in those frames.  In the fourth, High Point loaded the bases with two outs.  Ramanjulu struck out Adam Stuart with a changeup to induce and swing and miss to keep Towson's lead at six.
• The Towson bats came back alive in the top of the sixth as the Tigers put five more runs on the scoreboard.  Back-to-back singles then an error at third loaded the bases.  Two batters later, Arceo walked to bring in Camper, then a wild pitch scored Martinez.  Fields added two more runs with a frozen rope single to right-center to plate Arceo and Brandon Austin.  The bases loaded again after a Powers walk and a Ryan Terrents single, then Cabrera notched a sacrifice fly for Fields to score.  Towson took an 11-0 lead in the sixth.
• Next inning, Fields tacked another run on, hitting a two-out single to right to score Martinez for a 12-0 Black & Gold advantage.
• High Point scored its first runs of the game off a Brady Pearre sacrifice fly and a Travis Holt RBI single.  Towson still led 12-2 after seven.
• The home team had one final rally attempt in the bottom of the ninth, adding three runs, but Towson held and earned the 12-5 victory.

Inside the Numbers:

• This is the first win for interim head coach Miles Miller.
• Each Matt Arceo and Zach Martinez earned their first hits as Tigers in game two.  In addition, Loy Hickmon made his collegiate debut for Towson.
• Towson earns its highest single game run total since scoring 14 runs in a 14-3 victory at UNC Wilmington on Apr. 21, 2018.  Also, 15 hits are the most for Towson in a single game since April 16, 2019, when the Tigers notched 17 hits in a 7-2 victory at UMBC.
• This Saturday doubleheader occurred due to the planned Friday game being postponed due to inclement weather.

Next Game:
Towson returns to High Point tomorrow at 1 p.m. for the rubber match.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –