Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader Over Binghamton On Senior Day
ALBANY, N.Y. – Making the most of Senior Day, the University at Albany baseball team clinched the series against Binghamton Saturday, sweeping the doubleheader by scores of 5-2 and 5-4. With the victories, the Great Danes improve to 12-32 overall and 7-16 in America East play, while Binghamton dropped to 20-24 on the season and 10-12 in the conference.
Prior to the first game, UAlbany honored its five seniors – Kevin Archbold, Brian Bullard, D.J. Hoagboon, Josh Nethaway, and Stephen Carey — who are playing in the final series of their careers.
Sophomore pitcher Brendan Ryan (3-2) tossed a complete-game gem in the series opener, scattering six hits and two unearned runs with one strikeout in nine innings.
Offensively, the Great Danes totaled 10 hits with all nine players reaching base and eight recording knocks. Nethaway led the squad, going 2-for-4 with a run and RBI, while Alex Lushkevich also recorded two hits.
UAlbany took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third, as Hoagboon, Nethaway, Craig Lepre, and Richard Bacon strung together four singles and Evan Harasta drew a walk.
Binghamton made it 3-1 in the fourth when Bill Bereszniewicz doubled and scored on an error.
However, the Great Danes responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame, as Cory Kingston was hit by a pitch and scored on Bullard’s double down the left field line. Harasta immediately followed with an RBI single to center.
Binghamton scored one last unearned run in the top of the ninth, but Ryan worked his way out of a bases loaded jam to secure the complete-game win.
Jack Rogalla (5-7) took the loss for the Bearcats splitting innings with Greg Ostner. Rogalla threw four innings and allowed five runs and seven hits, while striking out three. Ostner tossed the final four scoreless frames, allowing three hits.
In the nightcap, UAlbany broke a scoreless stalemate in the bottom of the fourth with two runs. Nethaway belted an RBI double to left-center, scoring Harasta who drew a walk, and Richard Bacon plated Nethaway on a sac fly.
The Bearcats, cut the deficit to one, 2-1, with a run in the fifth, but Bullard’s three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning gave the Great Danes a 5-1 advantage.
Binghamton looked to rally in the seventh, using a leadoff error and three singles to score three runs. However, Archbold recorded the final groundout to capture the complete-game victory.
Archbold (3-3) earned the Senior Day win, throwing seven innings, allowing four runs (one earned) and eight hits, while striking out eight.
At the plate, UAlbany totaled six hits led by Lepre’s 2-for-3 effort and Bullard’s three RBIs.
Jake Crysts (4-5) took the loss for Binghamton, allowing two runs and three hits in four innings of work.
UAlbany will look to capture the series sweep in the final game of the 2014 season Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
