Box score (Game 1)
Box score (Game 2)
NEWARK, NJ—Binghamton took its second doubleheader against NJIT in as many days, defeating the Highlanders, 8-2 and 4-2 on Sunday to complete a four-game, two-site weekend series sweep.
NJIT had visited Binghamton for a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon and the teams got together again on Sunday for two seven-inning games at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
The Bearcats, winners in 11 of their last 13 games, including the four-game weekend sweep of the Highlanders, got strong pitching and strong defense in both games on Sunday. They also collected a combined 19 hits in the two games.
NJIT, meanwhile, did not pitch badly and made some terrific defensive plays of its own, but managed only two runs and four hits in each game of the doubleheader. Even so, the Highlanders made a serious bid against Binghamton's closer, senior RHP Greg Lane, who fought off the challenge and earned his sixth save of the season in Sunday's second game.
Binghamton took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning of the nightcap and Lane got the call to relieve freshman RHP Mike Augliera, who held NJIT to one run on three hits through five innings.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth-inning, NJIT's left-handed hitting senior DH PJ Saporito hit an opposite field home run over the left field fence, trimming the Binghamton lead to 3-2.
The home run was the first of the season for Saporito, whose primary role is as a starting pitcher, but who has been a regular hitter this year for the first time in his career. Sunday's clout was the second career home run for Saporito, who actually homered in his first college at-bat back in 2006.
NJIT 2B Matt Tomczyk followed Saporito's home run by reaching first on a throwing error, but Lane retired the next two batters to end the threat. Binghamton then picked up an insurance run in the top of the seventh and Lane closed the game with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh that included two strikeouts.
Binghamton took the opener, 8-2, scoring twice in the first inning, once in the third, three times in the fifth and twice in the sixth against the NJIT starter, LHP Matt Melody (0-5).
Binghamton got seven hits off of Melody, but three of them were for extra bases and the Bearcats did a fine job cashing in runs with productive outs, as they drove two sacrifice flies. Melody was also hurt by issuing five walks and he notched seven strikeouts. Junior RHP Chris Parenti relieved Melody and pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
The Binghamton starter, sophomore LHP Chris Giulietti (4-1), kept NJIT off the scoreboard on just two hits through the first five innings before the Highlanders got their two runs on two hits in the sixth inning. Freshman RHP Billy Hurley finished with one inning of work that included two bases-on-balls, but no runs or hits.
Three Bearcats came up with two hits each in the opener, including LF Joe Charron, who was 2-for-2 and drove in five runs. He had sacrifice flies in the first and third innings and a three-run homer in the fifth.
RF Peter Bregartner was 2-for-3, with three RBI. He had an RBI triple to drive home the first Binghamton run in the first inning and then scored on Charron's first sac fly. Bregartner later drove in a pair of runs with a two-out single in the sixth inning. C Jeff Skelhorne-Gross finished 2-for-4, as well.
NJIT got its four hits in the first game from four different players. The biggest hit was a home run to left center by CF Craig Binkiewicz leading off the sixth inning. It was the first round-tripper of the senior's career.
After an out, 3B John Berner tripled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by SS Vincent Del Vecchio.
NJIT freshman RHP Reid Okita (1-4) made his first college start in the nightcap after 10 previous relief appearances and he gave the Highlanders their best start in the four-game series against Binghamton, which is second in the America East Conference with an 8-2 record after capturing the conference regular season titles in both 2007 and 2008.
Okita pitched six innings, allowing three runs on nine hits, helping himself by inducing two double-play ground balls and walking just one batter. Parenti, who relieved for an inning in three of the four games against Binghamton, was touched for one run on two hits in the seventh inning in relief of Okita.
Augliera, the Binghamton starter, allowed three hits and a run in five innings, while Lane, the closer, allowed the one hit, Saporito's home run, while striking out three.
Jim Calderone, Binghamton's third baseman, was 3-for-4 in the nightcap and also made some terrific defensive plays at the hot corner. Included was one where he extended his 5-foot-7 frame as high as it would go to pick a hard bouncer out of the air and then made a strong throw across the diamond to help preserve the Bearcat lead.
CF Corey Taylor and DH Ken Jacobi each went 2-for-3 for the Bearcats and Jacobi's two hits were doubles.
NJIT again managed just four hits, but three of them went for extra bases. In addition to Saporito's home run, the Highlanders got doubles from Berner and from 1B Kyle McCarthy.
Binghamton scored one run each in the second, third, fourth, and seventh innings.
The first run scored on a delayed double steal play, as Jacobi, who had doubled with one out and then advanced to third on a fielder's choice, crossed the plate while C CJ Lukaszewski, who had reached first base on the fielder's choice, was caught in a rundown after breaking hard toward second on a steal attempt that drew a throw from the Highlanders.
The second Bearcat run came when Calderone singled, stole second and then scored in front of Bregartner's double.
Binghamton added a third run in the fourth inning, as Jacobi doubled with one out and then scored when SS Jeff Abrams followed with an RBI single.
NJIT cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning. RF Jeffrey Pizzi led off with a single and then came all the way around from first when the next batter, Berner, doubled into the left field corner.
The Highlanders appeared ready to do more damage, as Saporito followed with a walk and then he and Berner moved up a base each on a sacrifice bunt by Tomczyk, the NJIT second baseman. But the two runners were left in scoring position when Augliera induced a comebacker to the mound and a ground out to shortstop for the final two outs.
The Highlanders closed the score to 3-2 on Saporito's sixth-inning home run and the Bearcats got their last run in the top of the seventh when Lukaszewski singled with one out, stole second and crossed the plate on Calderone's double.
Both teams played fine defense in the doubleheader and no play was better than one made by NJIT CF James D'Aloia in support of Okita in the second game. D'Aloia flew parallel to the ground to snag a fly ball that was hit over his head on a play that resembled a football wide receiver extending to catch a long pass over his shoulder. If D'Aloia's play had happened in a major league game, it surely would have made ESPN's “Web Gems”.
The Highlanders are scheduled to host Saint Joseph's on Wednesday at 4 pm in Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
