VESTAL, N.Y. - Junior right-hander
Colin Rhein stifled visiting Holy Cross (8-10) over seven two-hit, shutout innings to give Binghamton baseball (8-9) a 6-0 win and doubleheader split Saturday afternoon at Bearcats Baseball Complex. The Crusaders took the opener 10-7. Binghamton has now won four of its last five.
In Game 2, Rhein (W, 2-3) set down 21 of 23 Holy Cross batters, allowing just two singles (in the third and sixth innings). He struck out five and didn't walk a hitter.
Binghamton tallied runs in five different innings and outhit Holy Cross 12-2. The Bearcats scored one run in the first, two in the second and then added single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, which was more than enough for Rhein and relievers
Brady Lesiak and
Jackson Mitchell, who each worked a scoreless frame with a strikeout.
After Rhein set down the Crusaders in order with two strikeouts to set the tone in the first, Binghamton used singles by freshman center fielder
Matt Bolton and senior left fielder
Logan Haskell to create traffic. Senior DH
Evin Sullivan came through with a 1-out RBI single to left for a quick 1-0 lead. After another 1-2-3 Rhein inning, the Bearcats plated two more in the second as junior shortstop
Mike Stellrecht and Bolton delivered RBIs. Bolton's run driven in was on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt. Stellrecht added another RBI hit in the sixth, Sullivan plated a run with an RBI double inside the third base bag in the seventh and Binghamton's final run scored on a passed ball in the eighth.
Stellrecht and Sullivan each went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Senior catcher
Zach Rogacki and freshman right fielder
Sam Miller also collected two hits each.
In the opener, the Bearcats jumped ahead 4-0 before Holy Cross took control of the game with three runs in the third and five more in the fourth. The Bearcats scored single runs in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings but couldn't draw closer than two.
Sophomore left fielder
Todd Abraham went 2-for-4 with his first collegiate home run and two driven in. He led off the fourth inning with a blast that easily cleared the wall in left center. Abraham also made a nice catch at the wall in the sixth inning. Bolton, Miller and junior second baseman
Zack Kent had two hits each.
Miller hit .500 for the series (5-for-10) and Bolton hit .417 (5-for-12) with four RBI.
The Bearcats host Siena at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
