LOWELL, Mass. - Sophomore catcher Jason Agresti capped a stunning nine-run rally in the ninth inning with a walk-off grand slam and Binghamton baseball defeated Hartford 9-6 in an America East winner's bracket game Friday afternoon at LeLacheur Park. The win brings the Bearcats (29-23) to within one victory of advancing to the NCAA tournament. Binghamton will play a championship game at noon on Saturday and the Bearcats, who are 2-0 in the tourney, will have two chances to win their final game to claim the America East title.

Hartford used four runs in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh to carry a 6-0 lead into the ninth inning. Binghamton had been held off the board for eight innings and was in danger of suffering just its second shutout of the season and first in 21 America East tournament games dating back to 2008.

But ninth-inning rallies against Hartford were fresh in the memory bank of the Bearcats, who scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Hawks 10-9 back on April 17 in Vestal. Fast forward seven weeks and BU one-upped its own dramatic walk-off history with an epic ninth inning.

It began with Agresti and ended with Agresti. He started the inning by drawing a walk. Sophomore shortstop Paul Rufo then was hit by pitch and sophomore right fielder Chris McGee reached on an infield error that allowed Agresti to score and make it 6-1. After a fly out, sophomore center fielder CJ Krowiak hit an RBI single, making it 6-2. Senior third baseman David Schanz singled and then with the bases loaded, senior second basemen Reed Gamache was hit by pitch to bring in BU's third run. Junior first baseman Brendan Skidmore drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-4 and junior left fielder Eddie Posavec ripped a single to center to bring BU to within one, 6-5. Having batted around, Agresti stepped in with the tying run at third and winning run at second and one out. He proceeded to belt a 1-0 fastball well over the scoreboard in left field to end the game in the most dramatic way. The towering shot, Agresti's seventh of the season, was well beyond 400 feet. It was his first collegiate grand slam.

Sophomore Jacob Wloczewski (W, 4-0) pitched the final 4.1 innings in relief and scattered three hits and two runs to notch the win. Junior Jake Cryts went 4.2 innings and was clean through four innings before the Hawks got to him in the fifth. 

Binnghamton outhit Hartford 12-8. Krowiak, Schanz, Gamache, Skidmore and Rufo all had two hits.