UNION, N.J. – Host NJIT (20-22, 19-17 America East) kept Binghamton baseball off the board for 13 of 16 innings and the Highlanders completed a doubleheader sweep of the Bearcats (15-17, 15-17 America East) Sunday afternoon at Jim Hynes Stadium on the campus of Kean University. NJIT won 6-2 and 11-4 to leapfrog Binghamton into playoff position in the standings.

In Game 1, BU struck first with two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. But NJIT countered with two in their half of the inning and the Bearcats managed just one hit the rest of the way. The Highlanders took the lead with a run in the fourth inning and pulled away with three more runs in the fifth.

Senior third baseman Justin Drpich and sophomore first baseman Kevin Gsell drove in the runs in the first frame with RBI singles. But the Bearcats were held to four singles in the seven innings.

In the nightcap, BU twice rallied to tie the score but ultimately a depleted pitching staff surrendered 10 runs in four middle innings and despite holding a 10-9 hits edge, the Bearcats couldn't rally.

Down 2-0, BU scored twice to tie it in the fifth but NJIT answered with two in their half of the fifth. Down 4-2, BU again struck for a pair of runs in the sixth, only to have the Highlanders answer again with three in the bottom of the frame. NJIT then added four runs in the seventh to finish the scoring.

Senior right fielder Daniel Franchi went 3-for-4 with two RBI. He belted a two-run double in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Drpich led off with a double and Gsell plated him with an RBI single. Three batters later, senior shortstop Jake Evans tied the game 4-4 with a two-out RBI single through the right side.  

Senior second baseman Alex Baratta had two hits. He batted .467 (7-for-15) in the series. Senior starter Jake Miller pitched 3.0 hitless innings and only allowed one run.

Binghamton concludes its regular season with a four-game set against league-leading Stony Brook Friday and Saturday at downtown Rumbletown Stadium. Now behind NJIT by two games with four left, BU will have to win that series and get some help to reach the postseason.