HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Towson University baseball team fell in a pair of tight contests on Saturday 5-2 and 8-7 (11 innings) at Hofstra, leading to a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) series split with the Pride.
 
Towson (15-24, 5-3 CAA) was within one run at Hofstra (12-14, 3-8 CAA) in game one in the eighth, with the Pride scoring late and getting for the win.  Game two went into extras as Towson's three-run lead in the 10^th and one-run lead in the 11^th did not hold as the Pride walked off.
 
With Towson's Friday doubleheader sweep, the four-game series ends in a split.  Towson retains second place in the CAA North.
 
Key Stats:

• Noah Cabrera earned a pair of multi-hit games, finishing 5-for-10 with a run and RBI.  Billy Godrick hit safely in both games and reached base seven times, finishing 2-for-6 with three runs, three walks and a pair of hit-by-pitches.
• In game one, Danny Madden had a no-decision in his start with 3.1 innings and two runs, only one earned, adding three strikeouts.  The defeat went to Nolan Bolt (0-2), who pitched two innings with three runs in relief.  For game two, Nick Ramanjulu had a strong start, going five innings with a run and two strikeouts.  The defeat went to the last reliever, Kody Reeser (3-4), had the two runs, only one earned, in the final inning.
• For Hofstra, Rob Weissheier went 6-for-9, with all hits including the walk-off coming in game two, with a home run, three doubles, two runs, three RBI and two walks.  Jim Joyce (2-2) won game one in his start, tallying seven innings, two runs and 10 strikeouts.  Game two starter Ryan Rue had a no-decision off five innings, two runs and five strikeouts, with reliever Brad Camarda (2-1) picking up the win with the final two innings thrown, having four unearned runs and a pair of strikeouts.

How It Happened (Game 1):

• With one out in the first, Towson took advantage of two free passes as Noah Cabrera punched a single through the left side to score Billy Godrick and make it 1-0.
• Back-to-back doubles to begin the bottom of the second for Hofstra tied the game at 1-1.
• Danny Madden pitched out of a bases loaded jam with a pop up in the bottom of the third, but next inning, Hofstra took the lead on a bases loaded walk.
• Towson got the run right back in the following half-inning, beginning with a Godrick hit-by-pitch and a Nolan Young single.  After a ground out advanced the runers, Javon Fields hit a sacrifice fly to straight-away center, scoring Godrick for a 2-2 tie game.
• The tie was broken in the bottom of the sixth after Hofstra led off with a triple followed by a double for a run as the Pride went up 3-2.
• Towson threatened with two on and one out in the top of the seventh, but could not get any runs across.  Later in the bottom of the eighth, a two-run home run by Austin Gauthier gave Hofstra a 5-2 advantage.  Towson could not come back and fell 5-2.

How It Happened (Game 2):

• Heads-up baserunning in the top of the first led to Towson's first run of the second game.  With first and second, one away, Noah Cabrera hit an infield single to short.  The shortstop misplayed the single, allowing Billy Godrick to score and make it 1-0 Towson.
• Hofstra tied the game in the second off a leadoff home run from Brian Goulard.
• After Nick Ramanjulu pitched a quick 1-2-3 inning in the third, Towson got back the lead in the fourth.  With two outs and a man on second, Brandon Austin slapped a single to left, bringing in a speedy Javon Fields for the run, sending Towson ahead 2-1.
• Ramanjulu, Andalo Santangelo and Jake Pecilunas held the one-run lead with shutout frames.  In the top of the eighth, Towson added insurance with two outs with back-to-back doubles by Fields and Burke Camper to go up 3-1.
• Hofstra again tied the game off a ball past the first baseman to bring in two runs.  The teams entered the ninth tied at 3-3 and would go to extra innings.
• Towson's small ball paid off immediately in the tenth.  With a runner placed on second, Cabrera bunted the ball down the third base line for a hit, taking second on an error as Nolan Young scored.  Fields bunted next and reached on an error to put runners on the corners, then Camper bunted to first on the safety squeeze and bring home another.  Two batters later, Jack McLaughlin crushed a ball into the right-center gap for a double, scoring Fields and pushing Towson to a 6-3 lead.
• Hofstra rallied, getting its runner on second, then with one out, Rob Weissheier hit a home run to left to pull the home team within one.  Austin Weber got a fly out, but following back-to-back doubles tied the game and forced an 11^th inning.
• Towson again took advantage of the extra runner in the 11^th with a Godrick single up the middle plating the run and pushing the Tigers ahead 7-6.
• Kody Reeser got the first two outs to try to strand the runner on second, but an Austin Gauthier RBI single, then two batters later, a Weissheier RBI single, allowed Hofstra to walk-off 8-7.

Inside the Numbers:

• Noah Cabrera, returning to his home state, earned four multi-hit performances in as many games this weekend.  Javon Fields had three multi-hit outings in the four games played.
• Jake Lysaght is currently on a six-game hitting streak.
• Jake Pecilunas made his 72^nd career appearance on the mound for Towson, tying for third in program history.
• As a team, Towson has 57 stolen bases, moving into ninth in single season program history.

Next Game:
Towson returns home to Schuerholz on Tuesday, April 27 for a mid-week game vs. La Salle at 3 p.m.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –