Binghamton baseball started off its regular season and non-conference schedule with a split four-game series at James Madison. A rainout on Friday forced the teams to play doubleheaders on back-to-back days, and while the Bearcat offense was in full force for the first games of each day, it was nowhere to be found in the nightcaps.
Binghamton’s 8-4 victory on Saturday was headed by a 4-for-4 performance from junior second baseman Daniel Nevares. His stat line comprised three doubles, two runs scored and two runs batted in.
A two-run home run by senior first baseman Jordon Smucker gave BU (2-2) an early four-run first-inning lead, which they would not relinquish.
James Madison (2-5) fought back with a pair of two-run efforts in the second and third innings but was held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
The Bearcats added two runs in the fourth inning on a ground out by junior infielder Brian Ruby and a Nevares double. Senior starter Jake Lambert allowed four runs over five innings, capturing his first victory of the year.
In the 9-1 loss in the second game of Saturday’s twin bill, the Bearcats scored their only run on a first-inning RBI double by Nevares, one of his two hits in the contest.
Binghamton senior pitcher Jay Lynch lasted just 3.1 innings, giving up six runs, four of which were earned.
Sunday’s doubleheader posted a nearly identical result to Saturday’s: a Binghamton victory in the first game and a loss in the second.
Junior Jack Rogalla threw five shutout innings in BU’s 5-1 Sunday opener. Senior designated hitter Bijan Mangouri went 3-for-3 and Smucker blasted a three-run home run, his second round-tripper in two days.
BU sophomore Greg Ostner pitched the final two frames in relief to capture his first save of the season.
Later that day, the Bearcats fell 14-1 in the series finale as a four-run first inning and a nine-run third inning by the Dukes proved to be too much to overcome.
In the game-changing third inning, the Dukes strung together eight hits and were aided by an error and a passed ball. JMU senior outfielder Cole McInturff and sophomore infielder Chad Carroll delivered a pair of three-run home runs, the latter coming with two outs.
The only BU run came on a Mangouri double, which was one of three total hits for the team. Junior pitchers Mike Meleski and Mark Palumbo struggled, surrendering a combined 13 runs, 11 of which were earned, over four innings.
Freshman Jake Cryts, senior Joe Swindells and sophomore Mike Urbanski provided four relief innings of one-run ball, but the Binghamton offense couldn’t cut into the deficit. Meleski picked up the loss.
Over the course of the four-game series, Nevares batted .500, going 8-for-16, and Smucker delivered six RBI and two home runs. Sophomore outfielder/catcher Jake Thomas had four hits.
The Bearcats are set to play the Virginia Military Institute in a four-game series from March 1-3. Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday at Gray-Minor Stadium.