GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Towson University softball team played two games in the UNCG Invitational on Saturday. The Tigers defeated George Washington in a 20-16 thriller before dropping the second game of the day 9-15 to Iona.
 
GAME 1: Towson 20 (3-6), George Washington 16 (6-3)
Key Stats:

• Towson scored at least 4 runs in 4 different innings, the Revolutionaries scored 3 or more runs in 4 different innings.
• 7 Towson batters recorded at least 3 hits with Grace Franczyk leading the way with 4.
• Taylor Broadbent finished a single shy of the cycle hitting 3-4 with a homerun, triple, double and 6 RBIs.
• Madyson Peters hit her second homerun of the season in a 3 hit and 3 RBI performance.
• Franczyk had a triple and 3 RBIs in her 4-hit game.
• Isabella Canesi hit 3-4 including her first homerun of the season.
• Alyssa Myint hit a bases clearing double to highlight a 3-4 night with 3 RBIs.
• Kristin Toland went 3-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
• Briyana Wright had 2 hits with a double and an RBI.
• Cara Bohner hit 1-5 and was the only Towson starter to not record multiple hits.
• Alyssa Bostley picked up her first win of the season pitching 1.2 innings of relief allowing 2 earned runs.
• For George Washington: Madi Mays hit a grand slam, Kaylee Layfield and Gabby Polsky had 2 RBIs each and Layfield, Polsky, Allison Heffley, Paige Hayward, Emi Todoroki, Carolyn Skotz, and Cadence Gilliland all recorded multiple hits. Emma Fales takes her second loss of the season pitching 1.2 innings of relief allowing five earned runs.

 
How it Happened:

• The 1st inning was the game's only scoreless inning.
• Isabella Canesi led off the 2nd inning with her first homerun of the season.
• Towson broke the game open in the top of the 3^rd, Taylor Broadbent hit a leadoff triple before Madyson Peters hit a 2-run homer to make it 3-0 Towson. Three consecutive singles followed to load the bases which were then cleared by an Alyssa Myint double. Myint went on to score from a Broadbent sac fly to cap off a 6-run inning to push the lead to 7-0.
• George Washington got on the board with a two-out rally in the bottom of the 3^rd. A single and walk put two runners on, Allison Heffley singled and scored as Madi Mays reached on an error. Then Paige Hayward singled to score another run, before two more runs scored via another error to make it 7-4 Towson.
• In the top of the 4^th, Grace Franczyk singled and advanced to third on an error the scored from a Canesi sac fly to push Towson's lead to 8-4.
• George Washington put two on with no one out in the bottom of the inning, then got the run back as Kaylee Layfield reached on a fielder's choice and Carolyn Skotz scored on an error. Then a single and walk loaded the bases for Mays who hit a grand slam to put the Revolutionaries ahead 9-8.
• Towson took the lead right back in the top of the 5^th as Elizabeth Yoskowitz singled and stole a base and was followed by three straight doubles from Briyana Wright, Broadbent, and Kristin Toland to make it 11-9 Towson. Toland later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 12-9.
• Emi Todoroki hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the 5^th and Gabby Polsky doubled her home to cut Towson's lead to 2.
• Myint and Wright singles put runners on the corners with one out. Myint scored on a Broadbent groundout and Peters and Franczyk singles scored 3 more runs to extend the Tigers lead to 16-10.
• Hayward singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth and scored from an error following a Caydence Gilliland single. Gilliland then scored via a Todoroki single, before a single and error loaded the bases with no outs, but Layfield lined into a 6-5 double play. Heffley hit the fifth single of the inning to score a third run and make it 16-13 Towson heading into the 7^th.
• In the top of the 7^th, Myint and Yoskowitz walked and singled respectively for Taylor Broadbent who hit a 3-run homer to double Towson's lead. A Toland double and Franczyk triple added another run and stretched the lead to 20-13.
• A double, single and walk loaded the bases with no outs for the Revolutionaries in the bottom of the 7^th. Polsky singled to score one, but a second runner was thrown out at home. Layfield doubled to score two more. But Kayla Pilson closed the game from there and Towson won 20-16.

 
GAME 2: Towson 9 (3-7), Iona 15 (1-6)
Key Stats:

• Briyana Wright hit 3-4 with a grand slam, a solo homerun and a double.
• Isaballe Canesi hit her second solo homerun of the day and had 2 RBIs and a walk.
• Madyson Peters hit 3-4 and scored 2 runs.
•  Cara Bohner had a double and 2 RBIs.
• Taylor Broadbent and Kristin Toland also recorded hits.
• Olivia Trombley started picked up the loss pitching 3.0 innings allowing 8 earned runs with 2 strikeouts.
• For Iona: Brianna Bailey, Hailey Guerrero and Brooke Acker all recorded at 3 hits and at least 3 RBIs each. Guerrero and Kenadie Gonzalez both hit homeruns, and Sara Pina had two hits. Samantha Rieb picked up her first win of the season pitching a complete game allowing 10 hits and 9 earned runs with 2 strikeouts.

 
How it Happened:

• In the top of the 1^st, Brianna Bailey hit a one-out single followed by a Hailey Guerrero home run to put the Gaels up 2-0 early.
• Iona tripled its lead in the top of the 2^nd, a single, double and walk loaded the bases with one out for Bailey who singled to score one before Brooke Acker singled to score two more. A fourth run would score on a passed ball to make it 6-0 Iona.
• Madyson Peters led off the bottom of the inning with a single and a Briyana Wright double put two on for Cara Bohner who hit a double of her own to score both runners and cut the deficit to four.
• Iona would immediately respond in the top of the third. Sara Pina hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a sac fly and scored on a squeeze play. A walk and a double steal put runners on second and third for Bailey who singled to knock in both runners and extend the Gaels lead to 9-2.
• The Tigers struck back in the bottom half as three straight singles loaded the bases with no outs. Isabella Canesi walked to score one and the bases remained loaded for Wright who hit a grand slam to make it 9-7.
• After a scoreless fourth inning, Iona added more insurance runs in the fifth as the Gaels loaded the bases with no outs off three consecutive errors. Guerrero singled to score two and Acker hit an RBI sac fly to put Iona back up by five.
• Towson loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, but a pair of fielder's choice outs ended the inning with no runs scoring.
• An error and a single put Iona runners on second and third with one out in the top of the 6^th. A Bailey sac fly, and Guerrero bunt scored two more runs for the Gaels to make it 14-7 Iona.
• With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Canesi and Wright hit back-to-back solo homeruns to cut the lead to 14-9. It was Wright's second homerun of the game.
• Iona added one more insurance run on a Kenadie Gonzalez solo homerun in the 7^th and closed the game out in the bottom of the inning and defeated the Tigers 15-9.

 
On Deck:
Towson has one more game in the UNCG Invitational, the Tigers take on hosts UNC Greensboro at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.