CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Towson University baseball team closed the opening weekend of play with two games on Saturday, one each against UAB and UMass Lowell at Shipyard Park in Charleston, S.C.
 
Against UAB, the Tigers kept it tight for most of the contest before allowing the Blazers to extend their lead from one to five in the bottom of the eighth. The Tigers answered in the top of the ninth, plating four of their own before leaving the bases loaded on the final out.
 
Key Stats vs. UAB

• Towson starter Ryder Jeske (0-1) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on four hits with two walks in 3.0 innings pitched. Jeske struck out one.
• UAB starter Colin Daniel (1-0) recorded the win with two earned runs allowed on five hits with one walk in 7.0 innings of work. Daniel struck out four.
• UAB's four-run eighth inning proved to be the difference as the Tigers' four in the ninth were not enough to extend the contest.

 
How it Happened vs. UAB:

• With two outs in the bottom of the first, a UAB double to right center plated the first run of the game for the Blazers.
• The Blazers extended their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second. A double down the left field line with a runner on second followed by a single through the left side plated the two runs.
• Michael Mallas hit a lead off solo home run to start the third inning to put the Tigers on the board.
• In the top of the seventh, Josh Janove singled and stole second to get into scoring position. MJ Phillips followed with an RBI double off the top of the center field wall to plate Janove.
• After surrendering back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the eighth, Brett Seils took the mound to relieve Matt Lynch. Four runs scored in the frame, two accredited to Lynch, to extend UAB's lead to 7-2.
• With one out in the top of the ninth, Taye Robinson walked followed by a Cole Stefano single. Robinson stole third and scored on a wild pitch, advancing Stefano to second. Janove followed with a two-run homer to right field to cut the deficit to two. Brian Heckelman got on base on a pinch hit walk before Joey Current hit a pinch-hit single to center field. Two batters later with two down, Brett Ahalt's single through the right side cut the deficit to one. After a walk, Nich Francuzenko popped up to short for the final out of the game.

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The Tiger bats came alive in the evening's game vs. UMass Lowell, knocking in 11 runs on 13 hits. The Tigers got a strong shutout start from Hood transfer Dutch DeProspero, who held the River Hawks to three hits in 3.1 innings pitched.
 
Key Stats vs. UMass Lowell:

• Towson starter Dutch DeProspero (1-0) recorded the win, tossing 4.0 shutout innings with three hits and two walks allowed. DeProspero struck out six.
• UMass Lowell starter Kevin Zarnoch Jr. took the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks in 4.1 innings pitched. Zarnoch Jr. struck out six.
• Towson outhit UMass Lowell 13-5 in the game, with three Tigers picking up multi-hit games: Ahalt (4), Jordan Peyton (3) and Heckelman (2).

 
How it Happened vs. UMass Lowell:

• The Tigers scored quick in the second game. Peyton reached on an error which allowed Casey Bishop to score from third.
• With runners on the corners in the third, Francuzenko's sacrifice fly to left extended the Tiger lead.
• After three straight singles to start the bottom of the fifth, Stefano hit a two-run single to double up the Tigers' runs.
• Martinez's solo homer in the top of the sixth put UMass Lowell on the board.
• With a runner on, Ahalt homered to right field to make it a 7-1 game. Peyton hit another on the ensuing at-bat to tack on another for the Tigers.
• With the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, a failed pickoff attempt allowed a River Hawk runner to score from third.
• With runners on the corners in the bottom half, Robinson doubled to left center to give the Tigers an eight-run lead. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Robinson scored on the ensuing groundout from Stefano.
• The River Hawks went down in order in the top of the ninth for an 11-2 Tiger win over UMass Lowell to close out the Swig & Swine College Classic.

 
Inside the Numbers vs. UMass Lowell:

• High Point transfer Brett Ahalt had his best game as a Tiger thus far, batting 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, two RBI's and four runs scored.
• Jordan Peyton picked up where he left off to end the 2024 season, finishing 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored.
• Hood College transfer Dutch DeProspero picked up his first Division I win in his first start as  a Tiger.

 
On Deck:
Next weekend, the Tigers will face UMES in a three-game series at Meritus Park in Hagerstown, Md. The Tigers and Hawks will play and doubleheader on Saturday followed by the series finale on Sunday.