LITTLE FALLS, N.J. - Sophomore outfielder
Matt Bolton went 3-for-5 with two home runs and a career-high five RBI to power Binghamton baseball (11-13, 4-3 America East) past host NJIT (9-15, 2-5 AE) 6-3 Friday night at Yogi Berra Stadium. It was the Bearcats' fifth win in the last seven games.
Bolton drilled a 3-run home run to spark a four-run first inning and then added a solo shot in the fifth inning. Sophomore second baseman
Sean Sweeney also had three hits as he and Bolton collected half of the Bearcats' 12 for the game.
Junior starter
Conner Griffin (W, 1-2) worked five innings and scattered three hits and two runs with six strikeouts. The tandem of sophomore
Aiden Milburn (2.0 IP) and junior
Hayden Tarsia (2.0 IP) covered the remaining four frames and limited the Highlanders to just one run on three hits. In his first relief appearance of the season, Tarsia locked down his first career save with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
NJIT brought the tying run to the plate in each of the last three innings but Milburn and Tarsia held firm. Bolton provided an important insurance run in the top of the ninth with an RBI single. Sophomore right fielder
Braylen Gonzalez and Sweeney delivered singles with one out and Bolton plated Gonzalez with a sharp hit through the right side on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
The Bearcats jumped out of the gate by batting around in the top of the first. After Gonzalez reached on an infield error and Sweeney followed with a single, Bolton put a charge into a 1-0 pitch and his 3-run home run put Binghamton ahead for good. Later in the inning, senior shortstop
Mike Stellrecht produced a bases-loaded RBI grounder to make it 4-0.
The teams traded single runs in the fifth and ninth innings to complete the scoring. The Highlanders got one back but Bolton neutralized that run with a solo shot to lead off the fifth inning. It was his second of the game and third of the season - another 1-0 pitch sent over the right field wall.
With the five runs driven in, Bolton took over the team lead with 19 RBI this season . Sweeney raised his batting average to .559 and his on-base percentage to .628 in 13 games this season.
The series continues with a 7:30 p.m. first pitch Saturday night.
