For Immediate Release: May 20, 2006
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton baseball splits twinbill with Albany, winning 6-2 before losing 11-2
Groh wins opener but Bearcats now must win final two games to gain playoff berth

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

VESTAL, N.Y. - Albany (20-29, 12-9 America East) pounded out 14 hits and 11 runs to rout Binghamton (26-22-1, 11-10 AE) 11-2 and gain a baseball doubleheader split Saturday afternoon at Varsity Field. The Bearcats took the opener 6-2.

The Great Danes jumped on BU pitching for five runs in the first three innings and then opened the floodgates with a six-run fifth inning. They tallied seven extra-base hits, including three in the sixth frame.

Junior second baseman Matt Simek (Vestal, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI and junior shortstop Justin Smucker (Bird-in-Hand, Pa.) went 2-for-3 and scored both runs.

In game one, junior first baseman Brendon Hitchcock (Laceyville, Pa.) went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBI and sophomore pitcher Zach Groh (Reading, Pa.) limited Albany to three hits over six innings to earn his fifth win of the season.

Hitchcock drilled a 3-1 pitch over the fence in right center in the bottom of the first inning, erasing a 1-0 Great Danes lead. It was his seventh home run of the season. Junior catcher Pat Haughie (St. James, N.Y.) then added a two-run shot in the third inning - his sixth of the year.

Groh (5-3) dropped his earned run average to 1.85 before departing after six innings. He struck out nine and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning with a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch.

Senior center fielder Aaron Davis (San Francisco, Calif.) went 3-for-4 and junior shortstop Justin Smucker (Bird-in-Hand, Pa.) went 2-for-4.

The teams will conclude their four-game set Sunday with a single nine-inning game beginning at noon.

NOTES
With Saturday's conference results, BU remains in fifth place heading into the final scheduled game of the regular season. Vermont (16-8) has already clinched the regular season title. Stony Brook (11-8), Albany (12-9) and Maine (12-9) occupy the remaining three spots. Binghamton must defeat Albany in Sunday's series finale and then win a likely Monday make-up game at Stony Brook. The Seawolves need the game to reach their conference-mandated minimum of 21 games.