Every Binghamton University baseball position player had at least one hit Sunday in the Bearcats’ 13-10 rally over Albany, a poignant cap to a vengeful four-game sweep of the visiting Great Danes that propelled the Bearcats to third place in the America East.
“We got great contributions from everyone in the lineup,” said BU head coach Tim Sinicki. “Guys who came in off the bench and guys who don’t regularly have an opportunity contributed, it’s very satisfying.”
The Bearcats (14-21, 7-5 AE) defeated Albany 5-4 in Friday’s opener, and 16-5 and 4-3 in a doubleheader Saturday. Sunday’s victory gives Binghamton seven wins in its last nine games and improves the team to 7-1 at home. The Bearcats are just three games behind conference-leader Hartford in the loss column as they enter a non-conference series this weekend.
Two weeks ago, the Bearcats were in last place, dropping one- and two-run decisions consistently. Now they are winning nearly every game, no matter the margin.
“We have a little bit more consistency throughout the entire lineup, guys with a little bit more heart — not to knock past teams — but we fight man, we’re dogs,” said junior captain Ryan James. “We come back and we put up stuff we need to. We’ve always got that stride and we’ve never really had that before.”
Albany (9-28-1, 4-8) led Binghamton 5-0 after 4 1/2 innings of play Sunday, but the Bearcats fought back with the long ball. Two-run homers from junior pinch-hitter Tom Baileys and freshman center fielder Corey Taylor gave Binghamton an 8-6 lead in the seventh.
The Great Danes reclaimed the lead in the eighth with three runs, but no more thanks to BU sophomore reliever Matt Simone, who struck out both batters he faced upon entering to end the inning.
The Bearcats scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead. Bailey hit a two-run single to put BU up 11-9 after junior first baseman Ryan Holley tied the game with a single to center.
BU closer Greg Lane secured the win in his third appearance of the series. Lane allowed just one earned run on four hits and struck out four in 4 2/3 total innings.
“It was nice to be given the opportunity to pitch in all those games,” Lane said. “When I come in to pitch, that means we’ve been offensively getting it done. What that says to me is that as a team we’re doing well, we’re putting ourselves in a situation to win the game.”
The series, and Friday’s game in particular, provided redemption for some of the returning Bearcats, who saw their America East Tournament title dreams crushed by Albany — and starting pitcher Cory Warrings — at the end of their 2007 season.
“Especially the first day opening up on Friday against the kid that beat us in the championship game last year, it’s a good feeling,” James said. “It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to. To come out and take four like that shows we’re going to be here at the end.”
Binghamton scored four runs off Warrings in six innings and received a strong bounce-back start from senior ace Zach Groh, whose ERA was above 5 entering the game. He struck out 10 and allowed no earned runs, four hits and one walk in 6 2/3 innings.
“I had a lot more control,” Groh said. “I wasn’t trying to do as much; a lot of the times I try to control more of the game than I can, and it just worked out for me. I had some guys that were swinging at some balls, that really helped me out. Got to thank them for that.”
BU junior captain Kyle Klee beat out a potential double-play ball at first with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, allowing Jeff Abrams to score the go-ahead run, 5-4.
Holley, junior designated hitter Ken Jacobi and freshman third baseman Brian Ivan each homered in Saturday’s blowout opener to the doubleheader, which saw Binghamton rattle off 16 hits. BU freshman Morgan Smith and senior Khalid Afify combined for 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief of junior starter Jeff Dennis.
Albany scored three runs over the final two innings in the second game to narrow the gap to 4-3, but Lane was able to stifle the comeback. Freshman right fielder Pete Bregartner homered and sophomore starting pitcher Murphy Smith allowed two runs on six hits over five innings.
Notes: Pete Bregartner’s 14-game hit streak was snapped with an 0-for-4 performance in a 6-2 non-conference loss at host Siena on Tuesday. Bregartner’s streak is tied for the longest in the Bearcats’ Division I history with Brendon Hitchcock.