Northwestern Can't Hold Off Towson, 6-4

2/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Feb. 27, 2011

Box Score

Site: Winston-Salem, N.C. (Wake Forest Baseball Park)
Score: Towson 6, Northwestern 4
Records: NU (2-5), Towson (3-4)
Next NU Event: Saturday, March 5 -- vs. Eastern Illinois (Evansville, Ind.), 10 a.m.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Northwestern jumped out to an early 3-0 lead but couldn't hold on in falling to Towson 6-4 in a contest hosted by Wake Forest University Sunday morning.

The Wildcats scored in the first inning for the third consecutive day to race out to an early advantage. NU mounted a two-out rally as Paul Snider started things with a walk and Chris Lashmet followed with a single. Chris Kontos brought both runners home by ripping a double down the left field line.

Northwestern made it 3-0 in the second as Trevor Stevens extended his hitting streak to open the season to seven games as his two-out triple plated Hamilton Wise from first.

Freshman left-hander Dan Tyson was sharp early on for the Wildcats as one Towson baserunner reached in the first three innings and that came courtesy of an error. The Tigers did break through for a run in the fourth as Steve Rice's two-out, run-scoring single cut NU's lead to 3-1.

The top of the sixth proved to be the decisive frame as Towson scored five times to take the lead. The Tigers got a pair of two-run home runs in the inning off relievers Matt Gailey and Jack Havey in taking the lead.

Following their hot start, the Wildcats were unable to tally until the ninth despite putting baserunners aboard in each inning from the third through the seventh. Freshman Jack Livingston socked his first collegiate homer to lead off the ninth and get NU within two runs. Geoff Rowan followed with a single to get the tying run to the plate, but the Wildcats were unable to complete the comeback.

Michael Jahns hurled the final 3 2/3 innings scoreless while allowing only one hit for NU. The Wildcats held a 9-8 advantage in the hit column with Kontos collecting two of the hits.

Northwestern returns to action next Saturday and Sunday as it travels to Evansville, Ind., for a trio of games.

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