Towson baseball brings strong offensive front against Mount St. Mary’s
By Tommy Pelle, contributing writer
With spring weather in full swing at Schuerholz Park, the Towson Tigers kicked off a two-game homestand against in-state teams with Tuesday’s game against the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers.
The Tigers entered the game on Tuesday amid a five-game losing streak. With the 6-25-1 Mountaineers visiting Schuerholz Park, Towson looked to right the ship.
“We were a little flat, which was expected,” said head coach Matt Tyner referring to his team having to play a day after getting home early in the morning from their road trip. “You come out here not knowing, really, what you’re going to get. So, to win a game on a backend of a day off, we’ll take that.”
The first inning would see both teams get on the board thanks to their first baseman. In the top of the first, the Mountaineers would put runners on the corners with one out. A sacrifice fly from first baseman Scott Seeker would put the Mountaineers up by one.
The Tigers would have a chance to respond in the bottom of the first. A Bryce Frederick walk followed by an Elijah Dickerson opposite-field single would put the Tigers on first and second with one out. With first baseman Josh Janove at the plate, Janove would punch a ball through the left side, scoring both Frederick and Dickerson thanks to a misplay from the Mount’s left fielder, giving Towson a 2-1 lead.
Mount St. Mary’s would resist going away, scoring runs in the second and third innings to put the Mountaineers up 3-2.
The Tigers would answer again in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases thanks to two hit-by-pitches and a walk. With a two RBI single by Dickerson, Towson would retake the lead 4-3. Janove would continue to produce at the dish, scoring Frederick on a sacrifice fly to give Towson a 5-3 lead.
However, Mount St. Mary’s would continue to chip away at their deficit. Due to a throwing error from Tigers pitcher Matt Lynch, while attempting to pick off Mountaineer shortstop Tyler Long, Long would advance to third base. The second sacrifice fly of the afternoon for Seeker would make it 5-4 Towson.
In the bottom of the eighth, Towson shortstop Jordan Peyton would draw a leadoff walk. With one out Peyton stood on third base while right fielder Brady Nathison stepped up to the plate. Nathison would hit a perfectly placed ball between the drawn in Mountaineer infielders to score Peyton and give the Tigers a 6-5 lead. However, the Tigers would not be done scoring.
In just his fifth start of the season, Towson catcher Chris Akers would send a 0-1 pitch over the left field fence. His first home run of the season would give the Tigers an 8-5 lead headed into the ninth.
“He’s been swinging the bat pretty good lately,” said Tyner. “He’s an aggressive baseball player, but it’s really good to see him hit the baseball like that. He works hard.”
In the ninth inning, Towson would call on Luis Rivera to get the save. Rivera would retire the Mountaineers and earn his first save of the season, as the Tigers would win 8-5.
The Tigers are now 9-26. Game two of their homestand is Wednesday, April 17, at 3 p.m. against Coppin State.
