BB: Pride Fall To Towson on Late Inning Rally

3/16/2013 10:12:00 PM

Hempstead, NY - The Tigers erupted for seven runs in the eighth and six more in the ninth as Towson rallied for a 15-3 CAA victory over the Hofstra Pride at University Field Saturday afternoon.

The Pride slipped to 4-13 overall and 0-5 in the CAA while Towson improved to 10-7 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

Hofstra was led by outfielder Kenny Jackson, who had three hits in five trips to the plate while outfielder Chris Nardo and catcher Robbie Cafiero each went 2-for-4. Senior Joe Burg was the first of seven Pride pitchers throwing six innings, scattering eight hits, striking out six and allowing just two earned runs.Junior Bryan Verbitsky (0-2), who allowed four runs in the eighth, took the loss for the Pride.

Towson was led by Zach Fisher, who went four-for-five with two runs scored, and Brandon Gonnella, who was three-for-six with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Pat Fitzgerald was two-for-four with three runs scored and a key two-run double in the eighth. Dominic Fratantuono was 2-for-6 with three RBI. Nick Cioffi (1-0), who threw two scoreless innings in relief of Paul Beers, who went six innings and allowed three runs on nine hits, was credited with the win for Towson

Hofstra threatened in the first, loading the bases on a hit batsman, a double by Kenny Jackson and an intentional walk to Jared Hammer. But Chris Nardo hit into a 3-2-3 double play to end the inning.

The Tigers put two runners on base in both the second and third innings, but Hofstra starter Joe Burg escaped the jams both times. In the second inning Andrew Parker led off with a single to short and moved to second on an error on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Peter Bowles. But Burg got a foul out and two consecutive strikeouts to get out of the inning. In the third Brandon Gonnella and Zach Fisher had back-to-back singles with one out, but Burg struck out Dominic Fratantuono and Parker flied out to end that threat.

The Pride broke through on the scoreboard in the third as Robbie Cafiero led off with a double and came in on a single from TJ Ehrsam. Ehrsam took second on an error on the play and was later thrown out at the plate on a single from Kevin Brantley.

Towson took the lead in the fifth as Pat Fitzgerald drew a one-out walk and scored on a Gonnella double that got past a diving Jackson in left. After a Fisher single, Fratantuono followed with a double that plated Gonnella with the go ahead run.

But Hofstra came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead. Jackson singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and went to third on an infield out. Jared Hammer then laced an RBI single to tie the score. After Nardo singled, Austin Nyman doubled off Fisher's glove to drive in Hammer with the go ahead run.

But Towson erupted, with a little help from the Pride, in the eighth with seven runs on just three hits. After a hit batter and a throwing error, Fitzgerald doubled to left driving in both runners for a 4-3 lead. After a walk and another hit batter, Dominic Fratantuono singled to right to bring home two more runs. An intentional walk and a wild pitch plated another run before Bowles drove in one with a single to right. Another wild pitch scored Parker who walked before the Pride were able to get out of the inning.

Leading 9-3 in the ninth, Towson tacked on six more runs on three hits with Gonella getting a run scoring double, Fisher getting a RBI single and four runs scoring on wild pitches.

The Pride close out their three-game series with the Towson Tigers on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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