VESTAL, N.Y. - Visiting NJIT (6-12, 1-2 America East) rallied for four runs in their final two at-bats and held off Binghamton baseball (7-10, 2-1 America East) 8-5 in the series finale Sunday afternoon at the Bearcats Baseball Stadium.
The Bearcats led 5-4 entering the eighth inning but NJIT scored three runs on just three hits to take their first lead of the game. The Highlanders added another run in the ninth and then prevailed when BU couldn't cash in with two runners on in the bottom of the ninth.
Binghamton used one-out singles by junior left fielder
Logan Haskell and junior DH
Evin Sullivan to bring the tying run to the plate with one out. But a strikeout and fielder's choice grounder ended the game.
Haskell had a career day, going 5-for-5 with a double, four singles and three runs scored. He had half of BU's 10 hits. Sullivan went 2-for-4.
Binghamton scored four times in the first three innings - the first to jump ahead 2-0 after one and after NJIT tied it with a pair in the top of the third, BU countered with two more in the bottom of the frame to pull ahead again, 4-2. The Highlanders put up another 2-spot in the fourth to tie it again but BU regained the lead 5-4 with a run in the bottom of the fifth. But BU was kept off the board in the final four innings.
Senior right fielder
Mike Gunning padded his team-leading home run and RBI count with a two-run shot in the first inning and an RBI sacrifice fly in the third. Gunning now has seven home runs and 17 RBI.
Senior starter
Nelson Berkwich scattered six hits and two earned runs in 5.1 innings. He struck out four.
The Bearcats committed three errors which led to three unearned Highlander runs.
Junior third baseman
Devan Bade delivered a two-out RBI single in the third and also made two spectacular fielding plays. In the fourth inning, he dove to his left to snare a sharp grounder, popped up and made the throw to first to steal a leadoff hit. Then in the seventh, Bade again fully extended to field a would-be hit in the hole and from his back side, made the throw to second for an inning-ending force.
