In a series that featured nine errors by the Stony Brook baseball team, it saw its Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) playoff hopes dwindle in a backbreaking sweep.

Needing a successful weekend to stay in the postseason hunt, the Seawolves (22-23, 8-13 CAA) made the trip to Maryland this weekend to take on the lowly Towson Tigers (18-30, 9-12 CAA). In a rain-interrupted series opener, Towson grabbed an 11-3 victory before coming back late to take the middle game on Saturday with a final score of 9-8. Trying to salvage a game, Stony Brook dropped the finale 9-4 to lose its sixth game in its last seven tries.

Last weekend, the Seawolves had a miserable weekend against the William & Mary tribe. After completing a sweep of Hofstra on April 20 to turn its season around and interest itself into a playoff spot, the Seawolves were swept by the Tribe to set up a crucial series against Towson. 

While the Tigers served as an easier opponent than last weekend’s opposition, Towson pounced on starting pitcher Eddie Smink in the second inning of game one. With nowhere to put him, Towson second baseman A.J. Kolb drove a sacrifice fly to right field to put the Tigers ahead 1-0. 

Facing a high-power Seawolves offense, Towson starter Andrew Luczak made the one-run stand up over the first six innings, allowing no runs on two hits and four punchouts. 

However, the Tigers added insurance quickly, scoring two more an inning later. With a runner at second, first baseman Nich Francuzenko blasted a two-run homer. In the fifth, Francuzenko was in the middle of another Tigers rally as he singled home one run before scampering home on a wild pitch, putting his side up 5-0.

Smink’s inability to give Stony Brook length continued on Friday, as he lasted just four innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. He struck out three Tigers before giving way to relief pitcher Jacob Pedersen. 

Once Towson went to the bullpen, the Stony Brook offense finally woke up. Leading off the top of the seventh inning, first baseman Erik Paulsen singled ahead of third baseman Nico Azpilcueta, who launched a home run to get the Seawolves on the board. Later in the frame, catcher Luke Szepek grounded into a fielder’s choice, which let right fielder Chanz Doughty score from third with the third run of the inning.

With the deficit cut to 5-3, the aforementioned Stony Brook defensive blunders were on full display in the next half inning. Facing Pedersen, Francuzenko lofted a routine fly ball towards left fielder Matthew Jackson. A ball that should have been the second out of the inning clanked off Jackson’s glove, putting a runner on. After a single put a second runner on, Pedersen misfired on a pickoff attempt to move both runners into scoring position.

Head coach Matt Senk then went deeper into his bullpen to bring in reliever Nicholas Rizzo, who struck out his first assignment. However, Rizzo was unable to sidestep the threat unscathed, as Towson designated hitter Max D’Alessandro tucked a two-run double into the left-field corner to get both runs back.

With a runner on first and one out in the bottom of the eighth, the game entered a lightning delay which ended Rizzo’s day. Once the game resumed, the Tigers plated four runs against relief pitcher Vincent Mariella. Of the four, one was charged to Rizzo, while three unearned runs were charged to Mariella after an error by Doughty.

Down 11-3, Stony Brook went down quietly in the road ninth, dropping Friday’s contest. Despite the loss, Azpilcueta’s home run gave him the second-most home runs in a single season during the Seawolves’ Division I era. 

Towson continued to score early and often on Saturday, as shortstop Jordan Peyton homered on starting pitcher John Rizzo’s second pitch of the game. In the second, Towson third baseman Casey Bishop doubled home a pair to stretch the lead to 3-0. Peyton added one more with a sacrifice fly before the inning finally came to a close. 

John Rizzo was chased from the game in the third, as Towson right fielder Ben Nugent dumped a single into right field to bring home a pair and extend the Tigers’ lead to 6-0.

Once again, Azpilcueta helped get Stony Brook back into the game in the fifth after Paulsen doubled home the Seawolves’ first run of the game. Azpilcueta then homered to dead center to make it a three-run game. 

With Towson pushing an insurance run across in the bottom of the fifth, Stony Brook took its first lead of the series in the top of the sixth. With a run already home, Paulsen came to bat with the bases loaded. Facing a full-count offering from Towson reliever Nate Nabholz, Paulsen belted a go-ahead grand slam to right field.

Relief pitcher Matthew Canizares tossed a scoreless sixth inning before allowing a one-out triple in the seventh. Senk turned to reliever George Adams, who escaped the jam by getting a strikeout and pop out. 

The eighth inning did not come as easily for Adams, as back-to-back singles opened the frame. On the second of the two — which was a bunt hit by Kolb — Adams’ throw to first base went awry to move the tying run ahead 90 feet. 

With runners at second and third, Bishop pounded a ground ball to second base to score the tying run. Then, Peyton found the outfield up the middle to score the go-ahead run. 

After pitching the prior two innings, Towson relief pitcher Brett Seils worked around an error to retire the side and clinch a series victory for the Tigers.

As was the case in each of the first two games, Towson continued to provide early offense. After a run-scoring double by center fielder Brett Ahalt put the Tigers up 1-0, they scored six off starting pitcher Ty Panariello in the bottom of the second. 

Leading off, Towson left fielder Brady Nathison homered to left. With two outs and a runner on, Peyton hit a ground ball to third base that was misplayed by Azpilcueta to prolong the inning. The Tigers took full advantage, as Nugent stole home before catcher Brian Heckelman singled. Then, Ahalt lined a ball into the gap in right-center field for a two-run triple. To cap off the frame, D’Alessandro sent a ball back up the middle to plate the seventh Towson run of the game. 

Desperate for pitching length, Senk went back to Pedersen for the second time on the weekend, the first time all year that the skipper has gone to Pedersen twice in one series.

Before getting yanked, Panariello lasted just 1 ⅔ innings and allowed seven runs — albeit just two of them were earned. He allowed seven hits, a walk and failed to strike out a batter for the first time in over a month.

After Pedersen escaped the second, he cruised through the third and fourth innings before the Seawolves once again tried to come back. 

Leading off the fifth, center fielder Chris Carson homered to right field to crack the scoreboard. With shortstop Matt Miceli on, Azpilcueta left the yard for the third time on the weekend, making the score 7-3. Despite the brief comeback attempt, Pedersen allowed a pair of runs in the fifth to extend the Tiger’s lead to 9-3.

A single run in the sixth proved to be all the offense that the Seawolves had in them, as Towson relievers Ryder Jeske and Kyle Emmons combined to go the final 3 ⅓ innings, allowing one hit and one walk to hand Stony Brook its sixth-consecutive CAA loss.

While the Seawolves’ pitching allowed 29 runs on the weekend, 12 of them were unearned as Stony Brook played uncharacteristically bad defense. On the year, the Seawolves have made the second-fewest errors in the league and have the third-best fielding percentage in the CAA. 

Azpilcueta led the Stony Brook offense, going 4-for-13 with three home runs and six runs batted in (RBI). This season, Azpicueta has 18 home runs and 53 RBIs, both of which lead the CAA.

Jackson had another stellar weekend with the bat as he continued his breakout sophomore season. He tallied four hits in 12 trips to the plate and scored two runs. He also picked up a stolen base. 

Paulsen went 3-for-14 with three runs scored, a double, a home run and five RBIs. All five of his RBIs came on Saturday, as he willed the Seawolves back into the game after falling behind. Miceli went 3-for-10 with two runs scored and an RBI while third baseman Brett Davino had two hits in six at bats. 

Between his two games in the series, Pedersen allowed five runs (three earned) in 5 ⅓ innings. Pedersen struck out four batters but allowed five hits and a walk.

Having not won a conference game in two weeks, Stony Brook will get a midweek tune-up to regroup before restarting CAA play on Friday. First, the Seawolves will head to Queens, N.Y. to take on the St. John’s Red Storm for the second time this season. In the team’s first meeting, Stony Brook took home a 5-3 victory at Joe Nathan Field on March 11. The Red Storm have gone 24-20 this season and are 9-6 in Big East Conference play. First pitch on Tuesday is set for 3 p.m.