TOWSON, Md. – Nico Azpilcueta launched his CAA-leading 18th homer of the season and homered for the third straight game, but the Towson Tigers ultimately took down the Seawolves, 9-4, on Sunday afternoon in Maryland.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Seawolves went down in order to start the game, right-hander Ty Panariello got the ball for Stony Brook. The right-hander surrendered a two-out triple, allowing Towson to take an early 1-0 lead.
- Luke Szepek was the first Seawolf to reach, getting on first via an error by Towson. The Tigers escaped the threat with a flyout. In their half of the second, Towson went to work—scoring six runs on five hits and an error to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
- Matt Miceli registered the first hit for Stony Brook with one out in the top of the third, and Matthew Jackson followed with a single of his own. However, Towson turned a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Jacob Pedersen tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, striking out two batters.
- Chanz Doughty drew a one-out walk in the top of the fourth and later advanced to third, but a popout ended the Seawolves' scoring chance. Pedersen worked around trouble in the bottom half, stranding runners on the corners after executing a successful pickoff.
- Chris Carson led off the fifth with a towering homer over the right-field fence to make it 7-1. Miceli followed with a single, and a few batters later, Azpilcueta launched a two-run shot to cut the deficit to 7-3.
- Towson responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to stretch the lead to 9-3.
- Stony Brook answered in the top of the sixth with a run of their own, making it 9-4. Carson and Scott Gell drew back-to-back walks before Miceli drove in Gell on an RBI single to right-center.
- Nicholas Rizzo worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth, ending the inning on a lineout to shortstop.
- Johnny Pilla recorded a two-out walk in the seventh before the Tigers ended the inning with a groundout to third. Rizzo tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame, including a pickoff.
- Following a scoreless top of the eighth, Rizzo again went 1-2-3 in the bottom half, striking out the final batter of the frame.
- Jackson led off the ninth with a single to left-center, but Towson secured the five-run victory by recording the final three outs in order.
STATS AND NOTES
- Azpilcueta has homered in three straight games and leads the CAA with 18. It marks his second three-game homer streak of the season.
- Carson launched his fourth homer of the year and also drew a walk.
- Miceli recorded his third three-hit game of the season and sixth multi-hit effort, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
- Jackson tallied his eighth multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch in the leadoff spot.
- Szepek now ranks fourth on the team with eight doubles after recording one this afternoon.
- Panariello made the start and allowed seven runs (two earned) over 1.2 innings.
- Pedersen tossed 3.0 innings out of the bullpen, striking out four and allowing two runs.
- N. Rizzo made his third scoreless appearance in his last four outings, tossing the final 3.1 innings without allowing a hit or a run. It marked his longest scoreless appearance of the season.
- Stony Brook moves to 4-5 all-time against Towson.
NEXT UP
The Stony Brook baseball team is back in action on Tuesday as they head to Queens to take on St. John's. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
