The Binghamton baseball team built off of its weekend success on Tuesday night, defeating Cornell by a score of 5-3. The Bearcats never trailed in the game as a three-run third inning and back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning provided enough run support to secure the nonconference victory.

“The midweek games are sometimes overlooked,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “This time of year, everybody focuses on the conference games, but there’s a lot to gain from these midweek games. We got some guys pitching and playing who sometimes don’t get a chance on the weekends. To get a win like that tonight was a win for the entire team.”

Binghamton (8-19, 4-8 America East [AE]) used seven pitchers in the victory who combined to allow just three runs on seven hits. In the top of the eighth inning, junior pitcher Jack Collins entered the game after Cornell (7-15, 3-6 Ivy League) loaded the bases. The junior forced a double play and struck out the next batter to get out of the jam. Collins continued in the ninth inning, striking out two more Big Red batters to earn the save and secure a Bearcat victory.

“When you run out there [with] seven pitchers, you’re counting on seven guys to be on,” Sinicki said. “In this game, that’s very difficult to do. So, hats off to them. Most of them [were] on their game tonight to be able to do a good job against that team.”

The game got out to a slow start as both teams went hitless through the first two innings. Binghamton broke the game open in the bottom of the third when freshman catcher Evin Sullivan hit a two-run double with the bases loaded. In the next at-bat, freshman infielder Nick Roselli contributed with an RBI groundout that gave BU a three-run advantage.

Cornell gave the Bearcats a scare in the fourth inning with back-to-back singles followed by a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases with no outs. Despite the pressure, Binghamton worked out of the jam as sophomore pitcher Alex Henderson struck out the next batter and forced a double play to leave the three Big Red runners stranded on base. In the following inning, BU made consecutive errors to put runners on the corners with no one out, but another double play followed by a strikeout led to just one run being scored.

“In the fourth inning, Henderson got into a little bit of a jam, giving up a couple of hits and then hitting a guy,” Sinicki said. “In the fifth inning, we had back-to-back errors … For [junior pitcher Tanner Sinicki] to go in and really minimize and limit the damage with a double play ball and strikeout was huge. That could’ve turned into an inning where [Cornell] came back and tied things up.”

The contest remained 3-1 until the bottom of the sixth inning when Sullivan and Roselli hit back-to-back solo home runs to extend the Bearcats’ lead to 5-1. Binghamton’s five RBIs came from Sullivan and Roselli who had three and two, respectively. Despite giving up two runs in the eighth inning, a flawless ninth inning sealed the victory for the Bearcats.

BU is scheduled to face Stony Brook for a weekend series. The Seawolves are tied for the best record in the AE despite being ineligible for playoff competition.

“Between us and Stony Brook, over the past 10 or 11 years, we’ve been able to enjoy the most success in the conference,” Sinicki said. “It’s always a big test. They’re always good, and they’re always well coached and well prepared.”

Binghamton will return to conference play with a weekend series against Stony Brook starting on Friday, April 15. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the Joe Nathan Field in Stony Brook, New York.