Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Binghamton baseball (19-24, 10-9) managed just six hits in the opener and then lost a slugfest in the nightcap to drop a pair from host Albany, 4-1 and 9-8, Sunday afternoon from Varsity Field. The two wins completed a four-game series sweep for the Great Danes (20-29-1, 14-7 AE) and marked the first time since 2008 that BU has been swept in a four-game conference series.

In the opener, the Great Danes snapped an early 1-1 tie with a run in the second and two more in the third and BU couldn't cash in, despite putting its leadoff runner on base in three of the last four innings. In the fourth and fifth frames, a Bearcats leadoff baserunner was erased on a double play. In the seventh, a leadoff single was wasted with two fly balls and a strikeout ending the game.

Sophomore shortstop John Howell went 2-for-3 - the lone Bearcat with more than one hit.

Junior Jay Lynch (2-4) scattered seven hits and four runs in 6.0 innings. Lynch struck out five and walked three.

Albany scratched out a run in the first on two hits and a walk to take a 1-0 lead. Binghamton tied it in the bottom of the frame on a double steal play. Sophomore center fielder Bill Bereszniewicz led off with a single and stole second. Howell hit an infield single and after he was erased on a fielder's choice grounder by freshman first baseman Brian Ruby, Bereszniewicz and Ruby both took off and as the throw came to second, Bereszniewicz crossed the plate to tie the game at 1-1.

But Albany utilized a pair of two-out singles to reclaim the lead 2-1 in the second and added two more on a two-out, two-run single one inning later.

Game two was a see-saw affair that had six lead changes, the final of which gave the Great Danes the win after they scored two in the eighth inning. Binghamton outhit Albany 15-12 but stranded nine and couldn't hold any of its four leads.

Trailing 6-5 in the seventh, BU scored three runs with two out - a two-run double to left center by junior designated hitter Jordon Smucker and an RBI single down the right field line by junior catcher Mike Danaher - and seized an 8-6 lead. But Albany struck for two decisive runs in the top of the eighth on three singles, a hit batter, passed ball and wild pitch. The Bearcats had the tying run on second with no outs to start the bottom of the eighth but couldn't advance him. They again put the tying run on base in the ninth but back-to-back fly outs ended the game.

Senior left fielder Dave Ciocchi went 4-for-5 with an RBI and Ruby went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Smucker drove in two, Danaher went 2-for-3 with an RBI and sophomore third baseman Joel Stubbs went 2-for-3.

Sophomore starter Jack Rogalla allowed four earned runs in 6.2 innings. He struck out four and walked one.

Already assured of a sixth-straight America East tournament berth, the Bearcats finish up the regular season with a three-game set at UMBC on Friday (DH) and Saturday before the double-elimination America East tournament takes place on May 23-25.