The struggles for the Binghamton University baseball team continued over the break.
After splitting a doubleheader against Dallas Baptist (17-10), Binghamton (7-15) was shut out in the rubber match of the series and lost seven straight. The Bearcats dropped two games to the University of New Mexico (9-20) before falling four times to New Mexico State (22-6) over the stretch, during which opponents outscored BU by a combined total of 45 runs.
After sinking to 4-15 on the year, the Bearcats sought better luck the following weekend when they took on Siena College (7-19). Binghamton snapped its seven-game losing streak, sweeping the three-game series from the Saints.
On March 19, Binghamton traveled to Dallas Baptist to take on a team that BU head coach Tim Sinicki referred to as “the best-kept secret in the country” in a Binghamton University press release. After reaching the NCAA tournament in 2008, the Patriots continue to receive recognition in nationwide polls.
In the series opener, Dallas Baptist jumped on senior southpaw James Giulietti, racking up five earned runs on nine hits before Giulietti was pulled after four and two-thirds innings.
Despite tallying 11 hits as a team, the Bearcats could not collect the win as they left a total of 11 men on board. Dallas Baptist took it by a final score of 6-4. The loss went to Giulietti, his third of the year.
The Bearcats took revenge in the second game as they jumped ahead early, scoring two runs in the second, but Dallas Baptist tacked on three runs against junior Mike Augliera in the third to regain the lead.
In the sixth, Patriots freshman third baseman Mitchell Hollander knocked in the game-tying run with a single through the right side.
With the score tied at three in the ninth inning, Binghamton rallied to take a 5-3 lead that would hold for the victory.
In the final game of the series, the Bearcats managed just two hits on their way to being shut out 6-0. Binghamton starter sophomore Jay Lynch walked five and surrendered five runs on six hits over five innings. Lynch was handed his third loss of the season.
The Bearcats headed to the University of New Mexico the following day, where they looked to fare better against another high-caliber team.
BU’s pitching struggles continued in the first game, and a hot New Mexico offense racked up 14 of its 16 total runs in the first two innings. Freshman starter Jack Rogalla allowed 10 earned runs on eight hits and five walks before being pulled during the second inning.
BU managed just five hits and committed four errors in the 16-2 defeat.
Binghamton looked to even the series the following day but fell just short as the Lobos took the game 5-4.
The Bearcats have committed at least one error in 16 of their 21 games this season. The Bearcats collected a total of 16 errors in the 12-game stretch and have avoided being charged with an error only twice. Despite this, Binghamton ranks second in the America East with a .960 fielding percentage and their 26 errors on the season is the second-fewest in the league.
In the midst of a three-game losing streak, Binghamton faced off against the New Mexico State Aggies, but both the BU pitching staff and offense proved to be no match.
Binghamton’s worst loss of the series came in the opener against the Aggies. New Mexico State jumped on Giulietti in the bottom of the second inning, racking up six runs on eight hits. He gave up 13 hits and 11 earned runs in three innings of work, dropping his fourth game of the season.
The Bearcats managed just three runs on six hits en route to the 18-3 loss.
BU’s lineup showed a little more life in the second game, but the Bearcats’ struggles continued from the mound as the Aggies took the game 9-6.
New Mexico State snagged the doubleheader the following day to complete the four-game sweep of the Bearcats, extending Binghamton’s losing streak to a season-worst seven straight games.
Lynch took the loss in the first game after allowing eight runs on nine hits in four and two-thirds innings.
Senior Jeff Skelhorne-Gross and junior first baseman Dave Ciocchi, driving in three and two runs respectively, accounted for all of BU’s run support in the game as it absorbed the 13-5 loss.
Though the second game of the twin bill proved tighter than the opener, the Bearcats fell short once again. Rogalla picked up his second loss of the year after surrendering two runs on two hits over four innings.
The Bearcats scattered 10 hits of their own, and senior catcher C.J. Lukaszewski accounted for two of Binghamton’s three RBIs. The Aggies picked up three more runs against senior reliever Zach Juliano, however, taking the nightcap 7-3.
Last weekend, Binghamton headed to Siena College, looking to end its seven-game drought.
Giulietti took the mound in Game 1 and had one of his best performances of the season, allowing three runs on seven hits over six innings as his ERA shrank to 8.90. The Binghamton bats exploded for 11 runs as he and the Bearcats took the game 11-5.
Binghamton’s good fortune continued Sunday as it took both legs of a doubleheader against Siena. Augliera got the win in the first game as the Bearcats won 12-1 while Lynch picked up his first win of the season in the BU nightcap victory, 6-2.
Yesterday Peter Bregartner was named AE Player of the Week, while Augliera was named Co-Pitcher of the Week.
The Bearcats are set to take on Cornell tomorrow at 3 p.m. on the road.