Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

ITHACA, N.Y. - Junior second baseman Reed Gamache hit a two-out, walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the ninth innning to win the opener and then junior Mike Bunal and freshman Dylan Stock combined on a six-hit shutout in the nightcap as Binghamton baseball (6-12, 3-5 America East) swept a twinbill from UMass Lowell (5-15, 1-4 AE) Monday afternoon at Cornell's Hoy Field. The Bearcats took the opener 5-4 and then posted an 8-0 win in the nightcap.

In Game 1, BU trailed 4-3 in its final at-bat before plating two runs to win it. Freshman pinch hitter Chris McGee led off with a single. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two more singles by senior center fielder Zach Blanden and junior third baseman David Schanz loaded the bases. Senior right fielder Jake Thomas tied it at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to left field. Gamache then ripped an 0-2 pitch to center field to score Blanden with the game-winner. 

The Bearcats used three runs in the bottom of the second to forge a 3-1 lead. Blanden plated two of the runs with a single up the middle. But Lowell responded with two runs in the fifth inning to tie the game and then the River Hawks took a 4-3 lead with an unearned run in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for BU's final at-bat heroics.

Senior reliever Anthony Grillini (W, 2-0) notched the win after pitching a scoreless ninth. Junior Rob Hardy scattered five hits and two runs in his 4.0 innings. Senior Greg Ostner then tossed 4.0 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits.

Blanden went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and sophomore first baseman Brendan Skidmore went 2-for-4. 

In Game 2, Bunal (W, 2-3) and Stock kept UML in check and BU scored all of its runs in the third and fourth innings. In the bottom of the third, BU plated three runs on four hits. Gamache got things going with a two-out RBI single. Skidmore followed with an RBI single and the third run came home on an infield fielding error.

In the fourth, BU struck four five runs on three hits. The big blow was a bases-clearing triple off the left field wall by sophomore catcher Eddie Posavec. Schanz had an RBI single and Skidmore picked up an RBI sacrifice fly.  

Bunal allowed just four hits in 5.0 innings. Stock surrendered two hits in his scoreless pair of innings.

Skidmore went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI and Posavec went 2-for-3 with two driven in.

Binghamton returns to Hoy Field on Tuesday - this time as the visitor when the Bearcats face Cornell at 4 p.m.