WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — In a Colonial Athletic Association clash defined by a dominant starting pitching performance and a late-inning rally, the Monmouth Hawks edged the Towson Tigers 6-5 on Saturday evening at Monmouth Baseball Field.

The game’s pivotal moment arrived in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the score knotted at 5-5, Monmouth’s Colin Richter led off with a single to right field and aggressively took second on a fielding error by the Towson center fielder. After two groundouts advanced him to third, first baseman Chris Walsh delivered the decisive blow, lacing a double to left field to score Richter with what proved to be the winning run.

That hit capped a comeback for the Hawks, who had trailed 5-1 after five and a half innings. The rally was fueled largely by catcher Brendan Buecker, who drove in three runs. His bunt single in the sixth plated one run, and a two-run single to right field in the seventh inning tied the game, capitalizing on a Towson fielding error that extended the inning.

Monmouth’s victory was anchored by the stellar outing of starting pitcher Alec Couture. The right-hander silenced the Tigers’ bats over seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out five and walking two. This performance marked a sharp rebound from his previous start on April 3 against Northeastern, where he allowed five earned runs.

Towson had seized early control, scoring once in the first inning on an RBI groundout by Max D’Alessandro and adding another in the fifth on a fielder’s choice by Brady Nathison that scored an unearned run. Nathison was the offensive standout for the Tigers, finishing 2 for 5 and driving in three runs, including two on a single in a frantic ninth-inning rally.

That final frame saw Towson mount a serious threat against Monmouth reliever Austin Beard. Keldrin Rodriguez doubled and scored on a pinch-hit single by Josh Janove. After another single loaded the bases, Nathison delivered his two-run single up the middle to tie the game. Beard finally escaped the jam by getting Coy Allman to fly out to left field, securing the win.

Towson starter Aden Knowles was effective over five innings, allowing just one earned run on zero hits, though he walked four. The Tigers’ bullpen, however, could not preserve the lead. Matt Lynch was charged with four runs, only one earned, over 1 2/3 innings in relief.

Both teams collected nine hits in the game. With the win, Monmouth improved its season record to 18-13 overall and evened the weekend series. Towson fell to 14-17. The Hawks have now won four of the five meetings between the two teams this season.

The series finale is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.