LOWELL, Mass. - Sophomore DH
Tommy Popoff belted a 3-run home run in the eighth inning and Binghamton baseball (28-20, 17-7 America East) scored runs in five of the last six innings to outlast UMass Lowell (20-29, 10-14 AE) 13-12 in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Le Lacheur Park.
The game featured seven lead changes, 32 hits, 25 runs and 38 players used as both teams had eyes on the upcoming America East tournament, which the Bearcats will host beginning Wednesday.
In the fourth, fifth and sixth innings alone, the teams combined for 16 runs.
Trailing 11-8, Binghamton plated four runs in the eighth - three off the bat of Popoff, who sent a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right to give the Bearcats a 12-11 lead. The RBIs raised Popoff's season total to 52, second-most in the conference. But UML tied the game one final time with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame, setting up the deciding ninth.
Sophomore first baseman
Steven Kraus led off with a walk and junior pinch hitter
Zach Anderson followed with a bunt single. Senior shortstop
Mike Stellrecht moved the runners along with a sacrifice and sophomore third baseman
Tim Hennig drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to center. Sophomore reliever
Brady Lesiak worked a 1-2-3 bottom ninth to save it for sophomore
Aiden Milburn (W, 5-2), who allowed just one hit in 2.1 innings.
Popoff had two hits and four RBI, sophomore catcher
Andrew Heppner ripped a 2-run home run to key a four-run fourth and Hennig went 3-for-3 with the game-winning RBI. Senior left fielder
Zack Kent went 3-for-5 with two RBI.
Binghamton will carry the No. 1 seed into the six-team America East tournament and will await its opponent after Wednesday's first round. The full bracket is
here.
