SAN MARCOS, Texas - Senior catcher
Evin Sullivan hit a grand slam and drove in six runs but Binghamton baseball (0-2) came up one run short in an 8-7 loss to Texas State (2-0) Saturday afternoon at Bobcats Ballpark. The see-saw game ended on a video review with the Bearcats threatening to tie it in the ninth.
The lead changed hands four times with the host Bobcats grabbing the final lead with three runs in the sixth inning. Down 8-6, Binghamton made one last push in its final at-bat. Freshman center fielder
Matt Bolton led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a fly out, Sullivan ripped an RBI single to left field, scoring Bolton to make it 8-7. Senior DH
Zach Rogacki followed with a roller to second that Texas State turned into a game-ending double play. The bang-bang play at first stood up on replay.
Sullivan got things started for the Bearcats in the first frame. Senior left fielder
Logan Haskell led off with a walk and Bolton singled. Sullivan stroked an RBI single to center, giving Binghamton a quick 1-0 lead. Two more walks brought in another run and gave the Bearcats a 2-0 lead.Â
But Texas State countered with two runs in the second on a two-out, two-run double. The Bobcats then took the lead with a three-spot in the third.Â
Sullivan struck again in the fifth - this time with a big blow. Freshman right fielder
Sam Miller led off with an infield single and Haskell was hit-by-pitch. After a Bolton walk and fly ball out, Sullivan hit with the bases loaded and mashed a high 0-2 pitch well over the wall in left for a grand slam and a 6-5 Bearcats lead.Â
The Bobcats reclaimed the lead for the final time in the sixth, thanks in part to four walks.Â
Sophomore reliever
Conner Griffin was the most effective of four Binghamton pitchers. He struck out the side in the seventh (3-4-5 hitters) and finished the game with 2.1 scoreless innings.Â
Sullivan went 3-for-5 with the six RBI. Binghamton received one hit from five other players in the lineup.Â
The teams close out the three-game series at noon (ET) Sunday. Â
