It was a weekend of late-inning heroics for the Binghamton University baseball team, as they used late rallies to take three of four games from conference rival Stony Brook University. Every game of the series was decided by one run, and in all but one game the winning run scored in the final inning.
“We talked to our guys about a heightened level of focus and concentration during the conference games, and when they get played out like they did this last weekend, they’re gut-wrenching at times,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “I think as an athlete and as a competitor, it’s really kind of what you play for.”
Despite the wins, Binghamton (16-14, 8-2 AE) dropped to second in the conference behind the University of Maine (24-13, 7-1 AE), who swept last place UMBC over the weekend.
Going into the series, the Bearcats and the Seawolves (17-16, 7-5 AE) were the top two teams in the conference, increasing the anticipation for the games. In Saturday’s match, BU sent out senior left-hander Jeff Dennis. Dennis had runners on base throughout the game, but regularly wiggled out of jams. However, he had no solution for Stony Brook’s junior first baseman, Robert Dyer. Dyer hit two three-run home runs off Dennis, one each in the second and fourth innings, to help give the Seawolves a 7-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.
In the seventh, Binghamton’s redshirted sophomore Henry Dunn led off with a single. BU followed with a walk and a single to load the bases. Sophomore Corey Taylor, who has been an offensive leader for the Bearcats, leading the team in RBIs and slugging percentage, singled in two runs to cut the deficit in half. The Bearcats used a pair of singles, a sacrifice fly and a balk to plate the next two runs, tying the game. Junior Jeff Abrams, 0-for-3 on the day, stepped to the plate with one out and the bases loaded, with an opportunity to win the game for his team. He did just that, singling to right field for the walk-off win, capping off the five-run seventh inning.
Junior Murphy Smith pitched in the nightcap for Binghamton. He pitched well, allowing only a solo home run in the third inning and a pair of RBI-groundouts in the seventh. He would strike out eight in eight innings of work. However, the Bearcats found themselves down again late in the game, trailing 3-1 in the eighth. Senior Kyle Klee tripled to lead off the eighth inning, sparking a two-run inning to tie the game. Stony Brook put a man on third with two outs against senior closer Greg Lane, but were unable to bring in the go-ahead run. BU took advantage, and in the bottom of the ninth decided they wanted to walk off again. Taylor found himself with the bases loaded, and like Abrams in the afternoon game, singled in a run to win the game.
Hoping to hold on to their momentum, the Bearcats went into Sunday ready for another doubleheader. The outcome of the opener was decided late in the game, as 14 of the 15 runs were scored in the final three innings. Each team built up a three-run lead, but proceeded to allow their opponent to tie the game, bringing the game into a 7-7 tie entering the bottom of the sixth inning. The first two Bearcats hitters made outs, but sophomore catcher C.J. Lukaszewski doubled to keep the inning alive. After an error allowed Lukaszewski to reach third, junior Jim Calderone hit a single to give the Bearcats an 8-7 lead. Lane pitched two perfect innings for the win.
“The beauty of the game of baseball is there’s no clock,” said Sinicki. “You set your own clock. Time never runs out until the last out is made.”
In the final game of the series, it was BU that would build up a lead and allow a rally. The Bearcats struck quickly, using a two-RBI single to go ahead in the first inning. Abrams and senior Ken Jacobi hit solo home runs to help build a 6-0 lead through six innings. The Seawolves were unable to figure out freshman Mike Augliera for the first six innings, managing just one single off of the Bearcats pitcher. However, things turned around in the seventh. The Seawolves would bat around in the inning, scoring six runs on five hits and two errors.
Four BU pitchers appeared in the inning. Despite the rally, the game was still tied at six. Stony Brook changed that in the ninth, opening the inning with a walk and a single. Closer Greg Lane would come out to try and prevent any damage. He was able to get the first two hitters out; unfortunately for the Bearcats, those outs were a groundout that advanced the runners and a sacrifice fly that plated the go-ahead run. The Bearcats weren’t able to muster anything in the ninth, and went down 7-6.
Sinicki said his team was disappointed in the loss, which he said was “a good sign,” because the team wasn’t satisfied with just three of four. He expects the loss to be a learning experience for the young pitchers.
Dyer had three home runs and nine RBIs for Stony Brook. Freshman first baseman Dave Ciocchi led the Bearcats, going 6-for-12 with nine RBIs, while Taylor was 7-for-15 with seven RBIs. Lane allowed one hit and no runs in three innings, picking up two wins.
The Bearcats play Army at West Point today at 3:30 p.m. They will then play a home-and-home series against the New Jersey Institute of Technology over the weekend, with two games in Binghamton on Saturday, beginning at noon, and a game in New Jersey on Sunday at 1 p.m.