TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University baseball team faced Charleston on Friday afternoon at John B. Schuerholz Park, falling 8-5 with a late push not enough to lift the Tigers (10-35, 3-16 CAA) over the Cougars (32-11, 15-4 CAA).
 
Two home runs and a sacrifice fly put Charleston out in front 4-0 through a frame and a half. Cole Stefano knocked in Devan Barnett from third on an RBI groundout to second base to put the Tigers on the board in the bottom of the second. Jordan Peyton singled through the right side with a runner on second base to make it a 4-2 game after three innings. Mathis knocked in Neaves from second in the top of the fourth to push the Cougar lead to three. Back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth made it a 7-2 advantage. Mathis knocked in Neaves from third on an RBI single to left field in the top of the eighth for a six-run lead. The Tigers scored two runs on three hits in the bottom half, with Jack Lawrence and Chris Akers picking up RBI knocks. Jordan Peyton knocked in a run in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly to make it 8-5. After Bryce Frederick's two-out single to extend the game, Sean Britt struck out for the final out.
 
Key Stats:

• Towson starter Andrew Luczak (0-6) took the loss on four earned runs allowed on five hits and four walks issued in 3.0 innings pitched. Luczak fanned two batters.
• Charleston starter Jake Brink (7-2) earned the win with two earned runs allowed on five hits and two walks issued in 7.0 innings. Davis Aiken recorded the save (10) with one earned run allowed on two hits in the 1.2 inning outing.

 
How it Happened:

• After Neaves' lead-off triple in the top of the first, Mathis knocked him in a sacrifice fly to center field.
• Following Baumhofer's lead-off walk in the second, Madden homered to left field to give Charleston a 3-0 lead. Sorrentino hit a solo home run to left field two batters later, adding another run.
• Devan Barnett led off the bottom of the second with a double to right field. Two successive groundouts scored Barnett to get the Tigers on the board.
• After Dickerson's double to right center field in the third, Jordan Peyton knocked him home on a single through the right side.
• Neaves doubled down the left field line and scored on Mathis' single to center field, making it a 5-2 game.
• Back-to-back home runs from Sorrentino and Neaves extended the Charleston lead to five runs.
• With a runner on third in the top of the eighth, Mathis' single to left field led to an 8-2 score.
• The Tigers challenged in the home half, with Jack Lawrence hitting a pinch-hit single to right center to score a runner from second. Akers followed with an RBI single to right field to make it an 8-4 game.
• With runners on the corners in the bottom of the ninth, Peyton's sacrifice fly to right center pulled the Tigers within three runs. After Frederick's single through the left side, Sean Britt struck out in a pinch-hit opportunity to send the game to an 8-5 final in favor of the Cougars.

 
On Deck:
The series continues tomorrow with game two at 1 p.m. at John B. Schuerholz Park.