Box Score

Game 53
Final Score	Towson 9, Northeastern 8 (L, Berger 6-6)
Records	NU 28-25 (12-15 CAA), Towson (26-28, 15-12 CAA)
Next Game	Thurs., May 23 vs. No. 3 Delaware/No. 6 JMU (Harrisonburg, Va.), 10 a.m.

HARRISONBURG, Va. – For much of the day, No. 4 Towson and No. 5 Northeastern battled back and forth in the 2013 CAA Baseball Championship's opening game, but it was the Tigers who came out victorious at Veterans Memorial Park. NU scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, but TU staved off the comeback bid, edging out the Huskies, 9-8.

Northeastern was scheduled to face the loser of the No. 3 Delaware-No. 6 James Madison contest at 7 p.m. this evening (Wednesday), but a weather delay pushed the game to 11 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Husky starter Nick Berger got through the first three innings allowing just three hits, but Towson used five runs over a two-inning span to hand the sophomore his sixth loss on the season. At the plate, five Huskies had multi-hit games, including a four-hit effort out of Jason Vosler. Sean Lyons had a career day, going 2-for-4 with four RBI.

Berger dug himself an early hole as leadoff man Zach Fisher took one deep over the right field wall, putting the Tigers out in front in the first. Pat Fitzgerald made it two hits in a row, but John Puttress snagged his 13th base thief of the year to give Berger some relief on the basepaths, allowing the Huskies to escape down just one.

Needing a spark, the Huskies relied on Jason Vosler, who smacked a first-pitch double to the left field gap. After smashing a light off a foul ball, Puttress lined one up the gut, bouncing off Volpe into the outfield, which gave Vosler enough time to scoot home to tie the game at 1-1. Volpe recovered, however, punching out both Sean Lyons and Pete Castoldi to end the top half of the inning.

Berger transitioned the contest smoothly into the third, sitting down the Towson bats in order in the bottom of the second. WIth two away in the top of the third, Brad Burcroff sent his fourth home run of the year over the right centerfield wall to give Northeastern its first lead at 2-1. Volpe, however, got his seventh Husky to strike out to end the visiting half of the frame.

For the second time on the afternoon, Vosler led off an inning with a base knock, grabbing a leadoff single to open the fourth. After Foster fought for 13 pitches, the All-CAA Rookie lined one to left center to put two runners on with no outs. After Puttress' sacrifice bunt moved both up a station, Lyons smacked a single to right center to bring both runners home, pushing NU's lead to 4-1.

But the Tigers struck in the home half of the inning, scoring three runs themselves. After Bowles popped up to Foster, Fratantuono tripled to left center, coming home in the next at-bat off a Gonnella double down the left field line. With two outs in the stanza, Parker homered to deep left field to tie things at four apiece heading into the fifth.

Towson regained the lead in the fifth inning after a ground-rule double from Fisher got things going. Fitzgerald moved him along to third, but it didn't make a difference as Kurt Wertz went yard -- Berger's third home run allowed on Wednesday -- giving TU a 6-4 lead. But Matt Cook came on in relief, striking a pair out to end the frame.

In the top of the sixth, Northeastern got another run back, thanks to Lyons' career-high third RBI of the day. Vosler led off the inning with a single -- his third hit of the day -- and represented NU's fifth run.

Cook continued his success on the hill, striking out two more Tigers to move the end of the sixth along with ease, but Vope reciprocated, downing the Huskies in order for the first time on the afternoon.

After Cook issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, Dylan Maki came on in relief. But after a Bowles walk, Fratantuono took advantage of the situation and smacked Towson's fourth home run of the day over the right centerfield fence, pushing the Tigers' lead to 9-5.

Vosler and Foster grabbed a hit each in the eighth, and a fielder's choice out of Puttress allowed Vosler to get to the hot corner. Next up, Lyons doubled his season RBI total in the game, driving in his fourth run of the afternoon after an infield chopper in no-man's land between first and second to cut the TU lead to 9-6.

After Maki did well to end the Tigers' eighth inning with just a hit allowed, Northeastern pounced at the plate. Pinch-hitter WIll Dougherty led off with a single to left, followed by a Barbosa single up the middle to put two on with nobody out. After Burcroff drew a walk, Fonseca flew out to left, advancing all three runners, scoring Dougherty. Barbosa came around next, making things interesting at 9-8, but Kyle Paul got Foster to fly out to put an end to the comeback and the game.