VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball begins a five-game week with a non-conference matchup at Atlantic 10 member St. Bonaventure Tuesday afternoon. The Bearcats (19-20) and Bonnies (20-17-1) will play a single game at 3 p.m. at Fred Handler Park.

Binghamton has won four straight, eight of 10 and 12 of its last 17 games. The Bearcats are positioned atop the America East standings (12-3) with nine games remaining in league play. On Saturday, BU swept a non-conference plair from NYIT, winning 23-1 and 3-2. With the two wins, BU improved to 9-0 at home and remained the only team in the nation still perfect at home in 2016.  

It was a record-setting Game 1 as BU exploded for 23 runs on 27 hits in the rout. The Bearcats tied a school record with 12 runs in the second inning and set a new program high with the 27 total hits, breaking the mark of 26 set against Hartford in 2010. The 12 runs in an inning tied the record set against St. Peter's in 2005. 

Already ahead 1-0, BU sent 15 men to the plate in the second inning and 11 straight reached base. Nine hits and 12 runs later, it was a 13-1 cushion for junior Jake Cryts, who allowed a run on four hits in 5.0 innings.

The Bearcats added four runs in the third, one in the fifth, four more in the sixth and a final run in the eighth.

Sophomore right fielder Chris McGee went 3-for-4 with a bases-clearing triple and a career-high four RBI. Sophomore DH Pat Britt went 4-for-6 with a two-run home run and three RBI. Freshman left fielder Sean Trenholm went 4-for-4 after replacing junior Eddie Posavec, who had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored. Senior third baseman David Schanz and freshman replacement Matt Tsukroff each had two hits and two RBI.

Sophomore catcher Jason Agresti belted a solo home run and had two RBI and three runs scored. Junior first baseman Brendan Skidmore hit his league-leading eighth home run of the season - a two-run blast that banked off the scoreboard in the third inning. Senior second baseman Reed Gamache had three hits and sophomore center fielder CJ Krowiak drove in two - one of seven different Bearcats to collect two or more RBI. 

Game two was a much tighter affair, with four pitchers (both teams) combined for 20 strikeouts. The Bearcats took advantage of some marginal fielding by the visitors to scratch out a run in the second and two more in the third inning for the winning margin. NYIT tallied a run in the third, one in the eighth and then loaded the bases with one out in the ninth before sophomore Dylan Stock shut the door to save the game for senior starter Mike Bunal.

In the ninth, the Bears had the tying run 90 feet away with one out but Stock induced a comebacker and started a game-ending 1-2-3 double play. He pitched 1.2 innings and struck out a pair. Bunal went 6.0 innings and allowed one run in three hits with eight strikeouts.

Binghamton is hitting .291 as a team and its pitching staff sports a 5.45 ERA. The Bearcats rank ninth in the nation in fielding with a .980 percentage.

St. Bonaventure took two of three games in its weekend series with La Salle, sweeping Saturday's doubleheader, thanks to a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning. The Bonnies had dropped six of eight before Saturday. They are in a tie for ninth place (out of 13) in the Atlantic 10 with a 5-9 mark.

The team has a .248 batting average, a sparkling 2.69 pitching ERA and a .966 fielding percentage. 

Individually, senior third baseman and closer Thad Johnson was a first team Preseason All-A-10 selection. He has 19 RBI and on the hill, sports a 0.75 ERA with four saves. Senior first baseman Tyler Walter leads the team with a .339 average and 22 RBI. Johnson won the La Salle game by pitching five innings of relief and then blasting the walk-off grand slam. 

Binghamton holds a 7-3 lead in the all-time series, which dates back to 1952. The Bearcats swept a pair of extra-inning games in Vestal last April, winning each by a 4-3 score. The Bonnies' last win was a 4-2 victory in 2013.

After the road game, BU returns home on Wednesday to put its unbeaten mark on the line against Cornell (4 p.m.).