A surging offense and team-first attitude have helped the Binghamton University baseball team prove why they were picked to win the America East this year. The Bearcats (13-13) went 6-3 over spring break, including 5-1 against conference opponents.

“We don’t want to be peaking in March,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “We want to be peaking come conference time, and it seems like we’ve been playing some of our best baseball as of late.”

After playing their first 17 games on the road, the break also marked the team’s first games at home this season. The Bearcats took advantage of the home field, going 3-1 while scoring 33 runs in the four games.

BU started their stretch in their home opener against conference foe University of Hartford. The Bearcats swept their doubleheader, winning 5-4 and 13-0. Junior starting pitcher Murphy Smith, who has emerged as an ace on the staff, earned his fifth win in the first game, pitching the full seven innings. Things didn’t look good for Binghamton for most of the game, as Hartford took a 4-0 lead into the fifth inning. However, the Bearcats scored all of its five runs in that inning. In the second game, the Bearcats mixed strong pitching with an offense that scored runs in bunches to earn the blowout win. Sophomore left-hander James Giulietti pitched six shutout innings and gave up just four hits to earn the victory.

Despite the success, Binghamton would have some trouble its next few games, losing the next three games by two runs or less. On the road against Cornell University, BU suffered a 3-1 loss, and also fell the next day to Canisius, 7-5.

While Sinicki said he was disappointed to lose games, his main concern is with conference opponents.

“Those midweek games are more about the development of young players than they are about wins and losses … Those losses didn’t bother me all that much, other than just being a competitive person and never wanting to lose. It didn’t shake us up too bad.”

Perhaps the most painful of the three losses, however, came in the Bearcats’ next game at the University at Albany, a conference opponent. Murphy Smith started for BU, going five innings and giving up one run. Smith (5-1) has posted a 2.68 ERA on the year, leading the team. Tied at one, the Bearcats put runners on base in the seventh, ninth and tenth innings but failed to score in each. BU left nine runners on base. In the tenth, the Bearcats loaded the bases with one out, but Senior Kyle Klee lined out and Taylor flew out to end the threat. In the bottom of the 10th, Albany put two runners on base with one out. Unfortunately for BU, second baseman Jim Calderone made an error on the next play, allowing the game-winning run to score.

“We had some opportunities to win that game,” said Sinicki. “We just couldn’t plate a run when we needed to.”

The Bearcats however bounced back in a game that Sinicki felt was the “biggest game” for the team. Coming off of the difficult loss, Binghamton found itself down 3-2 to Albany in the second game of the doubleheader. In the sixth, the Bearcats used more of their two-out magic, scoring three runs to put the team ahead. Giulietti (3-1, 3.73 ERA), who had given up three runs in six innings, came out for the ninth, but he immediately surrendered a home run, cutting the Bearcats lead to 5-4. Closer Greg Lane came into the game and shut down the Danes, pitching a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

On Tuesday, April 14, the Bearcats had a chance to play at home with their home fans back from spring break. BU didn’t disappoint, playing an exciting game in an 10-8 win over Siena College. Siena went up 4-0 early, but BU cut the lead to 4-3. After Siena extended their lead to 6-3, the Bearcats put up a six-run seventh to take the lead for good. As was the theme their previous games, all six runs came with two outs. Siena would put up a run in each of the final two innings to make it close, but Greg Lane held on for the save in the Bearcats win. Junior shortstop Jeff Abrams led the way with his 3-for-4 day and two RBIs. Calderone and senior Tom Baileys each knocked in two runs as well in the win.

At 5-1, BU currently sits atop the America East Conference. Giulietti joined Smith as a winner of the America East Pitcher of the Week award, earning it after his six scoreless innings against Hartford. The Bearcats will face a serious test this weekend at home against defending champion Stony Brook University, who are second in the conference at 6-2. The Seawolves are coming off of a win against the University of Virginia, who are ranked at No. 11 in the nation. The two teams will face off at Varsity Field at noon on Saturday and Sunday.