VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball (17-17, 7-6 America East) racked up 18 runs on 33 hits and moved into second place in the crowded America East standings with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Hartford (13-25, 7-7 AE) Saturday afternoon at the Bearcats Baseball Complex. Binghamton won 12-1 and 6-2 on a day that featured cold temperatures and snow flurries. 

Junior second baseman Alex Baratta went 5-for-8 with four RBI on the day - one of four Bearcats with five hits in the DH - and starting pitchers Nick Gallagher and Ben Anderson each had strong outings to pace BU.

In the opener, the Bearcats battled around in the first inning and knocked out Hartford starter Billy DeVito with seven runs on seven hits in the first frame. The first seven hitters reached base and BU kept it up with single runs in the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings. All 10 BU batters recorded at least one hit and the team collected a season-high 20 hits in the game. Baratta went 4-for-5 with three RBI and senior right fielder Anthony Meduri went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Senior designated hitter Sean Trenholm two hits, including a solo home run over the wall in right center to lead off the second inning. It was his third of the season. Junior center fielder Daniel Franchi went 3-for-4 with two RBI.   

Gallagher (W, 2-4) tossed six scoreless innings and allowed just two hits with five strikeouts, lowering his season ERA to 4.67. 

In Game 2, the Bearcats plated a run in the first inning, three in the third and four in the fourth. That was plenty for Anderson (W, 7-2), the league leader in wins and strikeouts. Anderson fanned eight and only allowed two late runs on a succession of two-out hits in the sixth inning. Anderson now has 82 strikeouts in 63 innings and is six Ks away from setting the new school single-season record. 

Baratta had a hit to extend his season hit streak to 16 games - third-longest in program history (D-I era). During the streak, Baratta is hitting .443 with 20 RBI. His one-out double scored Franchi with the game's first run after Franchi led off the game with a hit for the second straight game.

In the third inning, freshman first baseman Kevin Gsell delivered a two-out, two-run single as BU had four straight two-out hits to continue their onslaught. Trenholm added a two-out RBI in the fourth inning.

After Hartford used four straight two-out hits to score twice and put two more runners in scoring position, senior third baseman Justin Drpich made the defensive play of the game. Drpich dove and stopped a hard grounder headed for the hole. He came up and his strong throw beat the runner to save two runs and end the inning. Anderson's eighth strikeout ended the game one inning later. 

Trenholm went 3-for-4 to pace a 13-hit attack.

The teams will close out the weekend series with a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.