ELON, N.C. – The Towson University baseball team put together a late rally to pull within three late in hopes of winning its Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) road series but fell to Elon 11-6 on Sunday afternoon.
 
Towson (12-38, 2-18 CAA) rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to get the Tigers within three at 9-6.  Elon (25-23, 9-11 CAA) got back two in the eighth and held the five-run lead to the victory.
 
Despite the defeat, Elijah Dickerson earned his 10^th home run of the season.  He is the first Tiger to earn double digit home runs in a season since Kurt Wertz had 11 homers in 2014.
 
Key Stats:

• Four Tigers multi-hit in the game.  Jacob Terao finished 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, getting three total RBI.  Elijah Dickerson was 2-for-5 with a solo home run, scoring twice.  Jake Lysaght reached three times in a 2-for-3 afternoon, having a walk, run and RBI.  Jack McLaughlin tallied up two hits on four at-bats with a hit-by-pitch, double and a run.
• On the mound, starter Andalo Santangelo (1-1) got the loss with four runs charged in the first inning.
• For Elon, Charlie Granatell earned a seven-RBI day, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, three runs and a stolen base.  Starting pitcher Shea Sprague (5-2) earned the victory, throwing five innings with two runs and three strikeouts. 

How It Happened:

• Elon started the scoring in the bottom of the first in a big way.  After a walk, single and hit-by-pitch with two outs to load the bases, Charlie Granatell hit a grand slam over the left field wall for a 4-0 home team lead.
• Elon added to its lead in the fourth, beginning with a Granatell double.  Following a bunt single, Will Vergantino got a sacrifice fly to right to bring in a run.  Nolan Bolt got out of any further damage with a strikeout and line out to keep the score at 5-0 Elon.
• In the following half-inning, Jake Lysaght reached on an infield single to first.  On a 2-2 count, Jacob Terao hit a deep shot over the left field fence for a two-run home run, pulling Towson within three at 5-2 Elon.
• Towson continued to chip away, getting back a run in the sixth.  Elijah Dickerson roped a single to left-center to lead off.  Jack McLaughlin followed with a line drive double to center.  Dickerson got to third and advanced home on a fielding error in center field to make the score 5-3 Elon.
• A pair of walks put two on with one out in the bottom of the sixth.  Griffin Arnone lined a double to the left field corner, scoring both baserunners to push Elon up 7-3.
• In the seventh, Granatell hit his second home run of the game, this time a two-run homer with one out, to give Elon a six-run advantage at 9-3.
• Towson looked to rally in the top of the eighth, beginning with a Dickerson home run to the deepest part of the field in center.  Towson continued with McLaughlin being hit by a pitch and Chandler Castleberry singling to put two on.  Three batters later, back-to-back RBI singles from Lysaght and Terao brought home two more runs to pull Towson within three at 9-6.
• Elon added back two runs in the bottom of the eighth, hitting back-to-back doubles for the first run, then proceeding with a sacrifice bunt and a Granatell RBI single.  The Phoenix led by five and won the game 11-6.

Inside the Numbers:

• Cam Clark made his 70^th career pitching appearance for Towson, tying him for fifth all-time in program history.  Jake Pecilunas made appearance number 104, increasing his program record.
• Jacob Terao hits his first home run of the season with his blast in the fifth.  Elijah Dickerson earned his 10^th home run of the season, leading the team.

Next Game:
Towson plays its final CAA series this coming week, hosting the league's regular season champion Charleston on Thursday, May 19 at 3 p.m.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –