WILMINGTON, N.C. --- Senior outfielder
Harrison Hawkins took the first pitch in the back with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to break a 5-5 tie and give College of Charleston a 6-5 walk-off win over Towson in the opening round of the Colonial Athletic Association Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Brooks Field.
LEADING OFF
Final Score: College of Charleston 6, Towson 5
Location: Wilmington, N.C. (Brooks Field)
Records: Charleston (25-23), Towson (21-35)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Charleston took an early 2-0 lead through a two-run homer from
Tanner Steffy in the first and, after Towson countered with three in the third, scored three between the fifth and sixth innings to claim a 5-3 advantage into the final three frames. A two-run triple from Towson in the seventh would knot the score at 5-5 sending the game to the last of the ninth on even terms. After
Matt Lobeck and
Trotter Harlan reached on back-to-back singles and
Landon Choboy was intentionally walked, Hawkins was hit by the first pitch he saw to bring in the winning run on the bases loaded hit-by-pitch.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE
Steffy reached four times in a 3-for-3 effort to spark the offense with his marquee hit coming via the two-run bomb to the berm beyond left field in the first.
NOTABLES
- Lobeck went 2-for-4 with a game-tying RBI double in the fifth and a leadoff infield single in the ninth.
- Hawkins finished the day 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
- William Privette worked three and two-thirds innings out of the 'pen with four strikeouts.
- Ty Good held Towson to one hit and fanned two in two and one-third scoreless to earn the win.
- The Cougars were held to one hit with runners in scoring position but were 12-for-17 (.706) in advancement opportunities.
- Luke Stageberg went 1-for-3 at the plate and made several stellar plays at second base.
NEXT UP
The Cougars will await the result of the opening round meeting of No. 3 Elon and No. 6 William & Mary this afternoon to learn who they will face tomorrow afternoon in winner's bracket play.