The Binghamton baseball team hosted Central Connecticut this weekend for a three-game series, with two games on Saturday and the final match on Sunday afternoon. Earlier this season, these teams faced off in a doubleheader in New Britain, Connecticut, which was split 1-1. With this final series of the season, both teams were keen to come away with the win.
On Saturday, the Bearcats (22-9, 9-2 America East) traded victories with the Blue Devils (22-18, 12-5 Northeast Conference), winning the first game 6-1 and losing the second, 3-2. On Sunday, Binghamton came back to win 3-2 in 11 innings, emerging victorious in the weekend series.
“Our goal every weekend … is to try and win a series,” said BU head coach Tim Sinicki. “We knew we had a very good opponent in Central Connecticut, so we achieved what our goal was for the weekend, which is at the very least, [to] win two or three.”
Game one of the series started with a bang, as Central Connecticut junior infielder Dean Lockery hit a home run in the top of the first inning. The Bearcats answered in the bottom of the same inning, as a double from junior catcher Jason Agresti knocked in redshirt sophomore third baseman Justin Yurchak.
The Bearcats continued to score five unanswered runs throughout the remainder of the game. During the second inning, junior outfielder CJ Krowiak singled to left field, allowing sophomore designated hitter Matt Tsukroff to score. Then, a home run from Yurchak in the fifth brought two runners home. Sophomore pitcher Nick Gallagher had another steady outing, allowing only one run in six innings pitched.
In the nightcap, the Blue Devils responded from their disappointing first game performance, jumping out to a 3-0 lead through four innings.
Eager to get on the scoreboard, the Bearcats rallied to score two runs during the sixth inning, with RBI singles from Yurchak and senior first baseman Brendan Skidmore. After a scoreless seventh inning, the game concluded with Central Connecticut evening the series at one.
During Sunday’s game, Binghamton was able to win in exciting fashion. In the first inning, Central Connecticut jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead. A home run from Skidmore for BU in the second tied the game at one. The game remained tied until the top of the sixth, when the Blue Devils tacked on another run. During the bottom of that same inning, Skidmore tied the game again with an RBI single. The game remained stagnant offensively until the 11th inning, when a walk-off RBI single from Skidmore with the bases loaded gave the Bearcats a thrilling victory.
“I think they all believe in each other,” Sinicki said. “I feel like we do a very good job competing from the very first pitch of the game until the very last out of the game.”
Binghamton was able to rebound strongly following a blowout loss to Cornell earlier this week. This ability to rebound is a microcosm of the Bearcats’ season, as they have rarely lost consecutive games.
“We’ve really done a good job with our timely hitting,” Sinicki said. “We’re able to find ways to get guys in sometimes with two outs, and two-run RBIs are really back-breakers on the other team. When you have those … things going, I think you just have a chance to win a lot of ball games.”
The Bearcats are set to face St. Bonaventure University on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. from the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.