Saturday, March 25
Goodman Campus
12:00 PM

Lehigh University

2
vs
4

Binghamton

Binghamton takes pair from Lehigh, 4-2 and 7-0

3/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Visiting Binghamton University used the classic combination of great pitching and timely hitting as the Bearcats swept a doubleheader at Lehigh on Saturday afternoon.  Binghamton built a four-nothing lead and hung on for a 4-2 win in game one at the baseball field on Goodman Campus, and the Bearcats scored six times in the sixth to take game two, seven-nothing.

 

The pair of wins improves Binghamton’s record to 5-5-1 on the season; the Mountain Hawks fall to 8-13 following the doubleheader.

 

In the opener, BU struck first when center fielder Aaron Davis singled up the middle, plating right fielder Jeff Monaco with the game’s first run.  The Bearcats added three more in the fifth thanks in large part to Monaco, who doubled home two to give Binghamton a 4-0 lead.

 

Lehigh answered with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit in half.  Center fielder Joe Ercolano hit his first home run of the season – a blast down the right field line – to put the Mountain Hawks on the board.  Two batters later, catcher Matt McBride hit his Patriot League-leading sixth of the season to left to make the score 4-2. 

 

However, Binghamton’s Scott Diamond (3-1) was able to get out of the sixth and keep the door closed in the seventh as the Bearcats hung on for the win.  Kyle Collina (2-3) issued an uncharacteristic four walks in taking the loss. 

 

In the second game, the story was Binghamton starter Zach Groh.  Groh set down the first 16 Lehigh batters he faced.  Meanwhile, Lehigh senior hurler Jed Davitt was almost as tough.  The Bearcats finally scratched a run off Davitt (1-2) in the top of the fifth via a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. 

 

Groh finally gave up a hit – a single to center from Mike Sandonato in the bottom of the sixth – but not much else.  The Mountain Hawks managed only two baserunners the entire game off Groh (1-0). 

 

Meanwhile, Binghamton’s offense exploded for six runs in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach. 

 

Weather permitting, the Mountain Hawks and Bearcats will renew acquaintances on Sunday, with a doubleheader beginning at noon at Lehigh’s baseball field on Goodman Campus.