The Binghamton University baseball team has been red hot offensively these last few games, and the bats did not cool off at all in Tuesday’s game as the Bearcats defeated Marist 13-10.
After an up-and-down weekend, Binghamton (13-17) came out early with three runs in the first inning against the reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions (22-13) at Varsity Field. The inning started with a single by senior second baseman, Jim Calderone. Junior center fielder Henry Dunn followed with a long home run to left field. Junior right fielder John Miele contributed the last RBI of the inning with a two-out single.
Binghamton sent junior righty Zach Juliano on the mound. In his first start of the season, Juliano pitched a solid 4.0 innings to get the win. Juliano only gave up two runs in the second inning and scattered four hits.
The Bearcats responded to Marist’s two runs to extend their lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the second inning. The Red Foxes started off the inning by giving up two walks followed by two stolen bases. Dunn added another two RBI with a triple to left center. Sophomore first baseman Dave Ciocchi and freshman third baseman Mike Thompson singled in a run apiece. Junior left fielder Corey Taylor was the fifth run of the inning, scoring on a wild pitch.
Binghamton’s bats would not quiet down as they added another four runs in the third inning. Ciocchi recorded two more RBI with a single up the middle, scoring Calderone and Dunn. Junior catcher Jeff Skelhorne-Gross blasted a two-run home run to left field.
Dunn went 3-for-4 and was a double away from a cycle.
“Henry’s a very dynamic offensive player. He has a rare combination of both speed and power and so you know he’s one of the guys in our lineup that really kinds of makes us go,” BU head coach Tim Sinicki said. “If he swings the bat well and then he gets on base, it gets the guys behind him opportunities to drive him in, and obviously that’s good for our offense.”
After two quiet innings, the Marist bats came alive against sophomore righty Walker McKinven. McKinven gave up five runs, three of them unearned, on five hits. McKinven was replaced after one inning by freshman relief pitcher Robert Rogers.
“In midweek games sometimes you don’t see the teams’ best pitching just like they don’t see ours,” Sinicki said. “We know on the weekends in conference games, we will see Baltimore County’s top three pitchers. So, you know, hopefully our guys have confidence in their offensive abilities and hopefully continue to swing the bats well for us.”
Rogers pitched two innings giving up three earned runs on four hits. The Red Foxes closed Binghamton’s lead to just two but were unable to score their baserunners, leaving a total of 12 men on.
Junior righty Morgan Smith kept Binghamton’s lead and earned his first save, pitching two shutout innings and giving up only two hits. The Bearcats posted a combined 18 hits in the victory.
Binghamton is set to face a three-game conference series against UMBC this weekend. The series was originally scheduled to be played at UMBC, but weather forecasts have moved the games to Binghamton, and the Bearcats May 14-15 slate is now set to be played at UMBC.