“[I’m] a little disappointed with both games, we couldn’t protect the lead the way we needed to, and we couldn’t,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “In yesterday’s game, we couldn’t expand the lead, which would have helped.”

Binghamton (21-21, 9-9 AE) beat Navy (25-23, 14-11 Patriot) to the punch in the first game of the series on Friday. In the top of the second, the Bearcats scored two, the first from an RBI single by freshman first baseman/pitcher Steven Kraus and the second coming on a Navy wild pitch. The Midshipmen scored a run of their own in the second, before graduate student first baseman Freddy Forgione hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth to give Binghamton a 4-1 lead.

In the sixth, Navy fought back to tie the game at 4-4. Binghamton again stretched out a narrow lead, with an RBI single by senior catcher Zach Rogacki in the seventh scoring one and an RBI triple by sophomore infielder Todd Abraham in the eighth scoring two to make the game 7-4. However, the Midshipmen scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth, walking off game one with a final score of 9-7. Sophomore pitcher Hayden Tarsia started the game, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out two.

“We just didn’t do a good job coming out of the bullpen, our guys need to execute a little better,” Sinicki said. “Coming out of the bullpen is a little bit of an art form, you’ve got to be able to have the ability and the nerve. There’s a lot of things that go into coming out of the bullpen into a critical situation.

“You’ve got to have really good focus and you’ve got to be able to execute your pitches, and I just think we failed in that area,” he continued.

The second game of the series played out similarly for the Bearcats. The only offense for Binghamton came in the top of the fourth, when Forgione launched a two-run homer to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead. The Binghamton pitching staff could hold Navy at bay for only so long, giving up a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to give the Midshipmen a 3-2 lead. Ultimately, the Bearcats were unable to muster any more offense and dropped the final game.

Graduate student pitcher Ryan Packard started the game for the Bearcats, pitching five innings, allowing a run and a walk and striking out one. Throughout the entire weekend, the Bearcat staff pitched to a 6.18 ERA, while the hitters slashed just .231.

“We had a chance to kind of break it open early in the game and came up short,” Sinicki said. “The number of hits that you get in a game is only important if you can score runs off of those hits. It’s hard when you leave as many guys on base as we do. Sometimes, and I understand it, sometimes guys want to be so successful and they want to do something that really helps the team, they kind of just go outside of what they should be doing and make things more difficult than they need to.”

“We had a couple chances yesterday to make plays on both offense and defense to win that game, and we just didn’t do it when we needed to,” he continued. “If we want to make a good run here at the end heading into the America East tournament, we’ve got to be better than we were this weekend.”

After a matchup against Marist scheduled for Tuesday was canceled, the baseball team will be back in action on Friday, May 9 in a three-game series against Maine. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Mahaney Diamond in Orono, Maine.

“It was a great weekend of gritty wins,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “All were close games and we were happy to be faced with some adversity and fight back.”

Binghamton (10-5) started its tournament strong on Friday, with two wins over Butler (11-5) and Bellarmine (4-7). The Bearcats took advantage of defensive miscues by Butler, scoring their first run on a triple steal and two insurance runs on two Butler errors. While Butler tacked on two runs of their own in the seventh inning, BU held on to win 3-2 as junior pitcher Brianna Roberts pitched all seven innings, allowing just six hits and striking out seven.

Binghamton parlayed the win into momentum for their second game against Bellarmine. The Bearcats struck hard early, scoring three runs in the first including a sacrifice flyout by junior catcher Emma Lawson. The Knights plated one run in the fourth, but the game ended in a 3-1 Binghamton victory. Junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy pitched all seven innings for the Bearcats, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four.

The second day of the tournament began with Binghamton facing off against Bethune-Cookman (6-16). The Bearcats’ contest against the Wildcats turned out to be a pitchers’ duel, with the game going scoreless into the fifth. Binghamton was the one to break the ice, scoring once in the fifth off a Wildcat error and once in the seventh off of an RBI single by graduate student utility player Lindsey Walter. Bethune-Cookman was unable to muster any offense, and the game ended in a 2-0 Binghamton victory. Roberts spun a complete game shutout for the Bearcats, allowing four hits and striking out seven.

Binghamton’s rematch against Bellarmine to close day two played out completely different from their first matchup. The Knights blasted solo home runs in the first and second innings to take an early 2-0 lead, handing the Bearcats their first deficit of the weekend. Binghamton quickly struck back, with Lawson driving a run via an RBI groundout and freshman infielder Rachel Carey launching a two-run homer in the third to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead — a score that held for the rest of the game.

Binghamton’s final game was a Sunday morning rematch against Butler. The game turned into a shootout, and the Bulldogs opened the scoring in the third with a two-run homer. The Bearcats responded in the fourth and the fifth, with sophomore infielder Elisa Allen hitting a three-run homer and Lawson launching a two-run homer to put Binghamton on top 5-2. Butler responded in their half of the sixth, tying the game at five, but the Bearcats had the last laugh as Allen launched another two-run homer in the eighth, giving the Bearcats a 7-5 win and tournament sweep.

“[Roberts] had an unbelievable weekend and really took her intensity to a new level in some tough situations,” Bump wrote. “Our offense is coming along, and it was good to see some good at-bats and two out RBIs under pressure.”

The Bearcats ended the tournament 5-0 with a run differential of plus eight. As a team, Binghamton pitched to a team ERA of 2.25 while hitting a combined .240 over the weekend.

The Bearcats will be back in action next weekend at the James Madison Invitational, with their first matchup against Fordham on Friday, March 7. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

“I’m just proud of the way we battled,” said Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders. “I think the guys were really locked in this week. Everybody kept saying not today. It was just one of those things where we were frustrated with repeatedly losing to Vermont. I’m just proud, man. It was a total team effort … I think this win gives us an opportunity to say, ‘You know what? We beat one of the best teams in the league.’”

The game started slow, with the Bearcats (10-12, 2-5 AE) and Catamounts (11-11, 4-3 AE) forcing turnovers on their opening defensive possessions. Vermont quickly put its foot on the gas, going on an early 6-0 run and forcing Binghamton to use a timeout just three minutes into regulation. Binghamton broke through by way of a corner three from the hands of graduate student forward Ben Callahan-Gold as the Bearcats slowly regained lost footing.

“I think at the first time we were just talking about ‘not again,’” Sanders said. “I’m giving all the credit to the players. Those guys gotta go out there and make plays and they do that, they did that today at a high level. I think the one thing we have to say to ourselves is we can do this every game and not let it be a one-off, we have to be able to do this the next game and not get satisfied that we won today.”

Binghamton improved as the first half continued, mounting a comeback that culminated in graduate student guard Tymu Chenery drawing a shooting foul and making both free throws to put the Bearcats up 16-15 with just over 12 minutes left in the first half. Vermont responded, making two successive three-pointers to take a 23-18 lead. The Bearcats did not go quietly into the Vestal night, with Callahan-Gold making two consecutive threes to put Binghamton back on top 24-23. While things remained close, the Bearcats powered themselves into halftime with a strong shooting display, capped by a long three-pointer by redshirt junior guard Chris Walker as BU took a 36-31 lead going into the half.

“Going into conference play, coach really challenged me to just be more aggressive,” said senior guard Wes Peterson Jr. “So I came up with a 2025 motto for myself, ‘Let it Fly 2025.’ I just try to go out pretty much every game and just have that mentality. I’m bigger than most of the guys that I’m playing, so I just use my height, my aggressiveness and strength to just get downhill and try to finish.”

The second half started in much the same way as the first ended, with the Bearcats playing well on both sides of the ball. Binghamton’s first points of the half came by way of a layup and subsequent free throw from sophomore forward Gavin Walsh. Senior forward Nehemiah Benson made his presence felt with a diving play to keep a Binghamton offensive possession alive before coming back in to score two successive layups to put the Bearcats up 43-40. Binghamton was unable to put Vermont away, however, and the Catamounts came back to take a 48-46 lead with just over ten minutes remaining.

“I think it was just a team effort,” Walsh said. “Starting Monday, we had a long week to prepare for this game and we really just focused on being together as one unit, burning the boats and turning this thing around. We were just together and communicating the whole game, and that’s why we’re able to get it done.”

With just under seven minutes left in the half, Walsh delivered yet another corner three to put the Bearcats back on top 53-52. The following Binghamton possession, Peterson drew a foul on his layup and completed the three-point play to extend Binghamton’s lead to 56-52. The game turned into a track meet as the final five minutes ticked away, with both teams flying up and down the court. The Bearcats received contributions from the whole lineup, with Benson, Walsh and Walker, among others, putting down baskets to maintain and widen Binghamton’s lead.

With BU leading 69-65, Walker got the ball in transition, taking it to the rim with a slam dunk that energized the crowd. Walsh and Callahan-Gold then iced the game at the charity stripe, and as the final buzzer sounded, the Bearcats not only celebrated a 75-72 win but also the snapping of a losing streak against Vermont — dating back 22 straight games.

Binghamton outplayed Vermont most of the game, outshooting the visitors 50-to-41.5 percent from the field. A large part of the Bearcats’ victory was the contribution of the bench, which provided 14 points to the Catamount’s nine. Standout scorers for the Bearcats were Peterson, Walsh and Walker, who scored 18, 17 and 14 points, respectively.

“It was a 40-minute battle and we fought, but one thing I wanted to say is this is really just the beginning of us turning this thing around,” Walsh said. “We had to get one and it happened to be Vermont who played us today. I think if we played anyone today, we were gonna beat them.”

The Bearcats will look to build on their historic win when it takes on Albany on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Broadview Center in Albany, New York.

“Bryant did a really good job of feeding their big players inside,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “They’ve put together two really good games back to back. Kudos to them, we’ve just got to figure out how to fight right from the start and not let our missed layups snowball for the whole 40 minutes.”

Both the Bearcats (11-9, 3-4 AE) and Bulldogs (11-9, 4-3 AE) came out swinging. Through the first five minutes, the two teams traded baskets, with sophomore guard Bella Pucci providing BU’s first two points. After an offensive foul against Binghamton, the in-conference foes continued to keep the score close. While Bryant led by as many as five, by the end of the first, the Bulldogs’ lead had narrowed to 20-18.

“We’ve got to adjust as the game is being called,” Grimes said. “If they’re not gonna call it, we’re going to have to just stay our ground a lot better. I think we did a good job taking the charge when [Bryant] were overly physical.”

The second quarter opened with Bryant going on a 4-0 run to start the period. But yet again, Binghamton fell victim to foul trouble. After a foul against BU, Bryant parlayed some momentum into a 9-0 run, which junior guard Kaia Goode ended with a free throw. The Bearcats found their footing toward the end of the quarter, with sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd hitting a long three that kickstarted a 7-0 run for BU which took them into halftime down 38-30.

“I think [Bryant] just got a lot more physical in the second quarter,” Grimes said. “We have to be able to embrace that physicality. I think that’s what it was, we have got to be able to take hits and continue to finish. We need to make plays and we’re going to have to shoot the ball better.”

The second half began with several scoreless possessions to start. Bryant finally opened the scoring with a short two, but junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria answered with a two of her own. Toward the end of the quarter, Bryant’s offensive fouls on successive possessions allowed the Bearcats to regain momentum, with the kicker being a three from Goode to cut the Bryant lead to seven. A Bryant bucket in the final two minutes saw BU go into the fourth quarter down 46-37.

“I think when it’s clicking it’s clicking,” Grimes said. “We’ve preached just playing off of each other and understanding where our teammates are and where the defense is. When we are able to understand the offense and trust each other defensively, I think that’s when we look our best.”

The fourth quarter started well for the Bearcats, with Pucci providing their first points via a layup. Bryant answered right back, though, and the two teams traded possessions throughout the first half of the final quarter. As the quarter wound down, though, Bryant pulled away. Despite a late run that pulled them within 10, BU could not complete a comeback, falling to the Bulldogs 68-54.

“Having a little bit more fight on the boards is where we’ve got to go from here,” Grimes said.

As a team, the Bearcats struggled offensively, shooting 32.2 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc. Goode led BU in scoring, with 12 points. Defensively, BU held Bryant to a 43.5 percent shooting percentage on the day, with the Bulldogs shooting 33.3 percent from three. Bryant was also able to out-rebound Binghamton 47 to 32.

“My expectation is to beat Vermont,” Grimes said. “They’ve already been here, we understand that they’re going to be just as physical or maybe even more physical than Bryant, so we have to embrace it and not just take it.”

The Bearcats will look to snap its three-game skid on Thursday, Jan. 30 against Vermont. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington, Vermont.

“The last one should be the best one,” Coleman said, “It goes by real quick. I plan on getting my master’s, but I do not have any eligibility left. So while I’ll still be in Binghamton cheering on the team, I want to put everything I have out on the floor for this last year.”

Coleman was a consistent presence last season for the Bearcats, appearing in 30 of the 31 games played last season. In those 30 games, Coleman made an impact on the offensive side of the ball as she ended the season ranked third on the team and 12th in the conference with 10.3 points per game and fifth in the conference with a .477 field goal percentage. Still, she is always looking for ways to improve.

“My biggest goal this year is just to be a supportive teammate,” Coleman said. “I want to be more of a cheerleader, more of an encourager. If I focus on that kind of stuff this year, everything else will flow with it.”

Coleman was a Day One contributor when she arrived in Binghamton as a freshman and has stayed on the court ever since. The Bearcats have struggled at times throughout the last three seasons, culminating in the hiring of new head coach Mary Grimes this offseason. Despite the adversity facing the team, Coleman believes in herself and her teammates.

“Our biggest challenge last year was putting all four quarters together,” Coleman said. “I felt like last year we had some really good quarters, and then there were some that weren’t so good. So I think putting all four together in one game is a thing we really need to do, and I think this team has the capability to do that.”

Before coming to Binghamton, Coleman played high school basketball at Owego Free Academy, where she was a two-time New York State Sportswriters Association All-State selection and Tioga County’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. A multisport athlete in high school and a four-year player at the Division I level, Coleman knows what a good team looks like and has liked what she’s seen from the Bearcats so far.

“I’ve been here four years and seen many different teams, but this is one of the closest teams I’ve had so far,” Coleman said. “I think our connection will translate onto the floor, for sure, and I’m excited to see it this season.”

Looking forward to this season, Coleman and her teammates have one ultimate goal — to bring an America East title to Binghamton. Achieving that will be challenging, but she feels that the team is ready for that challenge.

“I’ve been trying since the day I got here to win every home game, “Coleman said. “We want to own our floor, we want to keep the house ours. Last year, I felt the team and I had a decent season but you always try to do better than what you’ve had previously.”

Coleman, a biomedical engineering major, gives it all on the court and in the classroom. Being named to both the Athletic Director’s and AE Commissioner’s honor rolls in every season she’s played, Coleman is no stranger to handling and overcoming pressure. Still, entering her last year of athletic eligibility, she wants to take it all in and enjoy doing what she loves.

“I’m excited to get my degree, that’s for sure,” Coleman said. “I’m excited just to live out my last year of college. I’ve had some great friends on the team who have been here since my second year, so I just want to enjoy what I have here, being on a team, my friendships, the memories and value them while I still have them.”

“We feel like we’re very good at winning balls out of the air,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “We feel like every time we get a corner kick, it’s an opportunity for us to finish on goal and it worked out great for us here.”

Starting the week in Vestal, the Bearcats (6-5-3, 3-2-1 AE) would strike down on NJIT (3-10-2, 0-5-1 AE) first. After failing to strike on several quality chances in the first 20 minutes, Binghamton broke the deadlock on a corner kick. In the 25th minute, freshman midfielder Anna Buckwalter sent the ball high into the box, where senior forward Mackenzie Ryder was able to get her head on the ball and send it past the keeper, putting the Bearcats ahead 1-0. The rest of the first half was touch and go for the Bearcats, with NJIT creating several dangerous chances. The defense held firm though, carrying the team into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

“I’m disappointed that we didn’t get the three points here,” Bhattacharjee said. “It’s something where over the course of 90 minutes while we did enough to perhaps get the full three points, it just didn’t work out that way, which is frustrating, but that’s the game sometimes.”

BU’s defense was not as lucky in the second half. The Highlanders would pick up right where they left off, getting quality chance after quality chance, eventually breaking through in the 57th minute, when an NJIT forward was able to work past Binghamton’s defense and receive a long pass, burying it in the back of the net to equalize the game at one-all. After NJIT’s goal, both sides struggled to generate good chances, and when the final whistle sounded, the score was level at 1-1, earning Binghamton only one point in the standings to help in its fight toward the playoffs.

Sunday’s match against Vermont (8-5-3, 3-4 AE) saw a more favorable result for Binghamton. As soon as play began, the Catamounts struggled to run their offense and defend against Binghamton’s attacks. In the ninth minute, senior forward Hannah Mimas launched a long pass up the field that was received by Buckwalter, who put the ball past the Catamounts’ goalkeeper to put the Bearcats up 1-0. Just four minutes later, Binghamton struck again. Mimas found herself in one of Vermont’s corners with the ball after a Binghamton free kick. She passed two Catamount defenders and took the ball toward goal, firing it past the keeper to put the Bearcats up 2-0. The Catamounts would continue to try and establish a presence in their offensive end for the rest of that half, but they would be unsuccessful and Binghamton took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

“We had a specific defensive game plan for Vermont,” Bhattacharjee said. “They are a very good attacking team, so we had to find ways to contain their goal scorers. Once we did that and stayed a step ahead of Vermont’s attacking patterns, it allowed us to win possession back and then start our own attacking transition and goal-scoring moments.”

After the break, the Bearcats picked up right where they left off. In the 50th minute, Binghamton was able to break through Vermont’s defense and Mimas was able to put a shot on goal. The Catamounts’ keeper made the save but gave up a rebound that was promptly put in the back of the net by junior forward Lauren Clark to put the Bearcats up 3-0. Despite pressing its attack for the rest of the half, Vermont could not break through. When the final whistle sounded, Binghamton was left with a 3-0 win and a crucial three-point bump in the AE standings.

“We were pleased overall in the game plan and then how everyone executed their role individually,” Bhattacharjee said. “The tactics were there but ultimately the players have to play with heart, energy and focus and you saw that all over the pitch today.”

The Bearcats will meet UMass Lowell at home for their penultimate AE match on Sunday, Oct. 27. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“I was disappointed that we didn’t find a way to win the series,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “To drop the first two and then to find a way to come out with a win on Sunday makes the trip home a little bit easier. Hopefully, that’s something that gets us going in the right direction as we head into the final stretch of the season.”

Binghamton (17-22, 7-11 AE) suffered a walk-off defeat against Maine (10-28, 6-8 AE) in the series opener. Sophomore pitcher Dan McAliney went five innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits, while walking one and striking out two. After the Bearcats faced an early 1-0 deficit, senior outfielder Eric Madenberg worked a bases-loaded walk to drive in a run to knot it up at one. Maine went on to retake the lead in the bottom of the second. However, BU took a 3-2 lead when sophomore infielder Mike Stellrecht hit a two-RBI single in the top of the sixth. Maine then evened the score at three in the bottom of the sixth.

With the game tied at three going into the bottom of the ninth, the Black Bears scored the game-winning run with a sac fly to take game one.

“We have to take care of the little things a little better,” Sinicki said. “We had opportunities to either get a hit or make a play or to put a pitch where we needed it and we just didn’t do it consistently enough. At this point in the season, everybody knows what we should be doing. There’s no finger-pointing or blame — we just have to take care of business.”

After the walk-off loss in the series opener, Binghamton kept the score close for the majority of the second game but couldn’t manufacture enough run support to stay in the game. Senior pitcher Nelson Berkwich went six innings, allowing four unearned runs on five hits, while walking one and striking out six. However, the bullpen couldn’t keep the Bearcats in the game, giving up five runs to Maine in the eighth as they fell 9-3.

“I thought [Berkwich] threw the ball really well, especially given the challenges we’re facing right now,” Sinicki said. “We have several guys from the rotation and bullpen down with injuries, so the pitching this weekend was done by guys who had to pick up a staff that’s a little beat up right now, and they did a really good job. I’m really proud of the way they pitched over the entire weekend.”

Binghamton rebounded in the series finale in a big way, exploding for 21 runs with contributions from 1-through-9. Graduate student pitcher Spencer Howell twirled six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three. The visitors blew the doors off early, scoring five runs in the first and 10 in the second to build a 15-1 lead by the third inning. The Bearcats scored six more times, with two runs in the third, fourth and fifth. BU stepped off the gas after the sixth, holding on with little issues for a 21-4 win.

“It seemed like we were able to capitalize on some momentum,” Sinicki said. “When a guy draws a big walk or gets a big hit, it festers throughout the dugout and guys get excited. I think it was definitely contagious today. We got a bit of momentum and fortunately, our guys ran with it.”

As a team, the Bearcats’ pitching staff surrendered 17 runs — 13 of which were earned — and allowed 24 hits while striking out 19 Black Bears throughout the weekend. Binghamton’s offense combined for an average of .264 throughout the weekend.

“For our midweek game, we’re going to give chances to guys who didn’t pitch over the weekend,” Sinicki said. “The guys that we’ll have in the lineup will be the guys that we’ll be playing the rest of the year. What we have to do is get them the at-bats and the repetition that they need as we head into the last two weekends of the year with [AE] play.”

Binghamton will start a four-game non-conference slate beginning with a midweek matchup against Cornell on Tuesday, April 30. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, New York.

After a series loss in America East (AE) play to UMass Lowell, the Binghamton baseball team rebounded on Tuesday with a 10-3 win over Le Moyne. After a back-and-forth game, BU exploded for six runs in the eighth inning to come away with a 10-3 win against the Dolphins.

“Midweek wins are nice, but not as nice as weekend wins,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “I was happy that we were able to throw five different pitchers, and they all had some success. Anytime you take that approach where you use multiple pitchers it’s a little bit of a gamble, but overall I thought it was a good effort from us.”

Throughout the first half of the game, the Bearcats (13-15, 3-6 AE) and Dolphins (12-15, 8-6 Northeast), kept it close. Binghamton opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, courtesy of an RBI single from junior catcher Evin Sullivan to put Binghamton up 1-0. Binghamton added one run through the third, fourth and fifth innings while Le Moyne added two runs during the same frame. This began with a RBI double by graduate student first baseman Sam Haney. Then, in the fourth inning, an RBI single by junior outfielder Logan Haskell in the bottom of the fourth and a solo home run by senior outfielder Mike Gunning in the fifth made the score 4-2.

“All we’re trying to do right now is to play good baseball,” Sinicki said. “We didn’t play good baseball at times last weekend, but I felt we got back there on Tuesday.”

Binghamton found itself in some trouble in the top of the seventh inning when Le Moyne loaded the bases with no outs. Dealing with the most significant threat of the afternoon to that point, the Bearcats went to the bullpen. After freshman pitcher Jake Dally took the mound, he walked in a run but did not give up anymore after that. Dally then struck the next batter out and then got a fly-out-throw-out double play to end the threat and preserve a 4-3 lead.

“All the guys that threw Tuesday are bullpen arms,” Sinicki said. “When we play midweek games what I try to do is to give opportunities to players who didn’t pitch on the weekend. It’s a chance for them to improve their role on the team. Those guys who pitched Tuesday showed the ability to come in and throw strikes and do a good job.”

In the eighth inning, the Bearcats erupted for six runs. Binghamton would load the bases to start the inning. Haskell would then hit into a fielder’s choice, advancing the runners and sending one across the plate. Binghamton would get another run on a Le Moyne throwing error, making the score 6-3. The Bearcats then plated three more runs, one off of an RBI double by Gunning and two off of a single by senior first baseman Andrew Tan to make the score 10-3. Binghamton put away Le Moyne in order in the top of the ninth, securing their 13th win of the season.

“They helped us out in the eighth inning [and] we got a couple of hits as well,” Sinicki said. “That was the mentality, to try and give ourselves a little bit of breathing room, so that there wasn’t as much pressure on the pitchers going out there for the ninth. It’s easier to go out there when you have a multi-run lead as opposed to just a single-run lead.”

Binghamton’s opener, freshman pitcher Hayden Tarsia, went three innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and one walk while striking out three. In total, the Bearcat pitching staff struck out eleven throughout the game, while allowing three earned runs on six hits. Binghamton’s hitters would hit .385 on the day, only leaving four runners on base and striking out as a team only four times.

“Wins are good, you hope it gives the guys a little confidence and momentum heading into future games,” said Sinicki.

Binghamton will head back on the road for a three-game series against Bryant. The first pitch for the first game is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday at Conaty Park in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

In its final game before the start of America East (AE) conference play, the Binghamton baseball team returned to Vestal, New York and earned a walk-off 8-7 win over St. Bonaventure in its home opener. After a back-and-forth contest that went into extra innings tied at six, a walk-off RBI single from senior outfielder Tommy Reifler in the 10th inning secured the victory for BU.

“We played well enough when we had to,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “I didn’t think we did some of the smartest things in the world, but the one thing this ball club has shown in its first 14 games is that there’s not a lot of quit, and even in losses, we’re putting ourselves into a position to try and win games. That’s a good characteristic for any team to have. We just have to continue to play smarter.”

After a scoreless first frame, senior first baseman Andrew Tan launched a solo home run to left center field in the second inning to give Binghamton (5-9) a 1-0 lead. While St. Bonaventure (4-10) knotted the score at one in the top of the fourth inning, Binghamton regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, with Tan driving in junior infielder Devan Bade from third with a line out to right field. The Bonnies plated a run in the top of the fifth inning via a fielder’s choice to tie things up again at two, but the Bearcats came right as junior catcher Evin Sullivan scored off a throwing error to make it a 3-2 game.

“We have a bunch of guys in the program who have played a lot of innings here,” Sinicki said. “That experience factor is very big when it comes to these types of situations. It’s up to the players and the coaches to get that type of experience into the younger players.”

Both teams continued to go back and forth, as a three-run home from the Bonnies allowed them a 5-3 lead. However, in the bottom of the seventh, RBI singles courtesy of senior shortstop Isaiah Corry and junior outfielder Logan Haskell tied the game back up at five.

“We have a really good group of veteran players that are driving this team right now in terms of these types of resiliency situations,” Sinicki said.

After surrendering the lead once more to St. Bonaventure off an error in the top of the ninth, Binghamton made the most of its turn in the bottom of the inning. Facing a new Bonnies’ pitcher, the Bearcats maintained their discipline at the plate and walk the bases loaded. Then, senior outfielder Eric Madenberg was walked, forcing in the tying run — knotting the score at six. Binghamton was unable to capitalize further, sending the game to extra innings.

“We just read what was happening on the mound,” Sinicki said. “The pitcher was kind of unraveling and the last thing you want to do at that point is chase a pitch. Our guys did a good job not chasing out of the zone. I trust our guys to hit with one strike, so it was important there to take a strike at the end when the wheels were coming off for the pitcher.”

The Bonnies scored a run in the top of the 10th inning and the Bearcats entered the bottom of the inning trailing 7-6. Binghamton quickly got two runners on base thanks to two consecutive St. Bonaventure errors, along with a pitch that snuck by the Bonnies’ catcher, allowing the Bearcat runners to advance. After the Bonnies’ catcher threw the ball to third base, it was high and sailed into left field, allowing Tan to score and tie the game at seven. Binghamton’s next batter, Reifler, then nailed an RBI single to drive in the winning run, freshman infielder Todd Abraham, delivering an 8-7 win for the Bearcats.

“We got lucky with the errors and from there, it was a situation where we had to play for the tie,” Sinicki said. “Especially being at home, we tried to advance the runners, it’s just part of what we do and who we are. With the injuries we have right now, we can’t just sit back and try to pound the ball into the gaps, we have to try and put pressure on teams, and I think that really worked out in our favor.”

Binghamton will begin America East (AE) conference play with a three-game series over the weekend against NJIT, beginning on Friday, March 15. First pitch for the first game is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, New York.

“It was a tough weekend for us, and we obviously didn’t play to our potential,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “Our first game against St. Joe’s, we played good softball on all fronts, but the other three games, some things didn’t go our way and we couldn’t seem to get any momentum.”

The Bearcats’ (11-7) first matchup was Friday morning against St. Joseph’s (6-12). After a scoreless first inning for both sides, in the second inning, junior outfielder Brianna Santos launched an RBI double into left. Then, junior utility player Lindsey Walter cleared the bases with a single, giving Binghamton a 3-0 lead. The Bearcats kept the pressure on through the middle innings, with senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux, plating senior catcher Hailey Ehlers in the fourth inning to make it 4-0.

While the Bearcats gave up one run via the longball in the bottom of the fourth, senior utility player Shelby Carvalho hit a two run home run in the fifth inning and a solo home run in the seventh inning to put Binghamton up comfortably 7-1. The Bearcats did not allow another run to secure their lone win of the tournament. Sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts went the distance, pitching seven innings and striking out six while allowing only one earned run on two hits.

“[Roberts] has been pitching really well and is gaining confidence every weekend,” Bump wrote. “She is trusting her pitches, her defense and has a good presence about her right now.”

Binghamton’s second game of the day, an afternoon matchup against tournament hosts JMU (15-7) was a different story. Almost immediately, the Bearcats found themselves behind, with the Dukes taking a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. It would be all downhill from there, as the Bearcats would give up seven more runs in the next three innings and score none of their own, losing 9-0 via run rule in only five innings.

“[JMU] is a very well-coached team, with gritty athletes who know how to win and don’t let up once they have momentum,” Bump wrote.

Binghamton’s second day of play on Sunday mirrored the first, with a game against St. Joseph in the morning and a game against JMU in the afternoon. BU took an early 2-0 lead against St. Joseph, courtesy of an RBI single by L’Amoreaux and an RBI double by freshman infielder Elisa Allen. However, Binghamton’s offense was held scoreless the rest of the way by the Hawks’ pitching while piecing together four runs of their own for a 4-2 victory.

The Bearcats faired no better in game two against JMU, as the Dukes jumped to a 4-0 lead after the third inning. Binghamton avoided a shutout, scoring in the fifth inning via a Roberts groundout RBI to make the score 4-1. However, JMU responded with five more runs, in the bottom of the inning to make the score 9-1 and trigger the run rule, ending the game.

“Our game against them on Sunday, I thought we did a good job limiting their offense, and [we] put ourselves into a few positions to score some runs and close the gap, but couldn’t seem to get anything going,” Bump wrote.

Binghamton ended the tournament with -13 run differential as a team. The pitching staff struck out 24 batters while giving up 22 earned runs. The Bearcats batted .258 as a team throughout the weekend.

“Our preseason has been good and we are still trying to put all the pieces together and figure out who we are,” Bump wrote. “I’ve been happy overall and the girls continue to work really hard. I think the biggest thing for us is just trying to gain some confidence going into conference play and trusting all the work we’ve put in as a group.”

Binghamton will be back in action next weekend at the Penn State Softball Invitational, starting on Saturday, March 16. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. against Lehigh at Nittany Lion Softball Park in State College, Pennsylvania.

After being swept in its opening series at Houston, the Binghamton baseball team bounced back, taking two of three games against UNC Greensboro to record its first series win of the 2024 season. The offense came alive as the Bearcats won the first two games of the series 9-6 and 8-5. Then, dealing with various injuries, BU fell 6-3 in the final matchup on Sunday, coming out of the weekend 2-1.

”I thought overall, as a team, if you can drive 10 hours on Thursday, play three games, win two out of three on the road, and then come back home, I think that’s a pretty good weekend of baseball for us,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “I’m pretty happy with the way things went overall.”

On Friday, the first game of the series, Binghamton (2-4) secured its first win of the season with a 8-5 victory against the Spartans (5-2). After a scoreless first inning, UNC Greensboro tacked on two runs in the second and a run in the third to take an early 3-0 lead. The Bearcats response came in the top of the fourth inning when senior outfielder Mike Gunning hit an RBI triple to get Binghamton on the board. Shortly after, graduate student first baseman Sam Haney brought Gunning in with an RBI single to cut the Spartan lead to 3-2. BU’s offense stayed hot, tacked on three runs in the fifth inning, one run in the sixth. Despite UNC Greensboro plating two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Bearcats put up two runs in the seventh inning and held the lead the rest of the way to secure an 8-5 victory.

”I thought our guys were a little bit more comfortable in the box,” Sinicki said. “For the most part we did a good job, getting our guys in when we needed to. [We] rallied from a three-nothing deficit … the pitching, the bullpen did a really good job coming in there after [senior pitcher Gabe Driscoll’s] effort.”

BU’s second game against UNC Greensboro on Saturday afternoon played out similarly to the first. The Spartans jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, scoring two in both the first and second innings. Binghamton got on the board in the top of the third inning courtesy of an RBI fly-out from junior catcher Evin Sullivan and a two-run home run by Gunning. Then, the Bearcats struck again in the fourth inning, with freshman infielder Jake Dally leaving the ball park to tie the game at four. Binghamton carried its momentum through the fifth, scoring four more runs via a Sullivan RBI single and a three-run homer to left by Gunning, his second of the day, to take an 8-4 lead. Despite giving up two runs to the Spartans in the sixth inning, the Bearcats tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, courtesy of an RBI double by senior outfielder Tommy Reifler— en route to a 9-6 win in game two.

”[Gunning is] a middle-of-the-order type hitter for us,” Sinicki said. “He’s got the ability to hit the gaps and drop the ball out of the ballpark. So if he’s feeling good, that’s a real benefit for our lineup.”

The Bearcats’ third and final game of the series on Sunday afternoon began with the visitors taking an early lead. BU got on the board first, with an RBI single from freshman infielder Todd Abraham in the second inning and a sacrifice fly from senior outfielder Christian Perez in the top of the third inning to put Binghamton up 2-0. However, after this point, BU’s offense was silenced for the most part. UNC Greensboro went on to score six unanswered runs, including four in the sixth, to go up 6-2. Heading into the ninth inning facing a four run deficit, Binghamton got one run back, after an RBI triple off the bat of sophomore infielder Mike Stellrecht. However, this was not enough as the Spartans’ pitching staff closed out the game and BU fell 6-3.

”We just didn’t get anything going in those middle innings,” Sinicki said. “[UNC Greensboro] took advantage of the four-run sixth [inning] and a misplay that we had in the field … We got one [run] late but just couldn’t do enough to sweep the series — but [winning] two out of three [games] — we will take on the road.”

Binghamton will face a tough test, taking on No.1 Wake Forest for a single-game matchup on Friday, March 1. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Binghamton softball team opened its 2024 campaign in Florida at the Frank Griffin Classic, going 4-1 throughout the weekend. After dropping its first game against Boston University, the Bearcats defeated Stetson and SIUE twice, coming away with a 4-1 record, their best start since the 2004 season.

“Our first weekend was a good start for us,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “For this early in the season with a lot of different lineups, we had a lot of energy and showed a lot of fight in some tough games.”

Binghamton (4-1) played two games on Friday, a morning matchup against Boston University (5-0) and an afternoon game against Stetson University (0-5). The Bearcats began their weekend falling 8-0 to Boston University after being held hitless through all six innings. The tide turned during game two against Stetson, as senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux went three-for-four with three RBIs and a home run while pitching four innings with four strike outs. Despite Stetson tacking on a run in the sixth inning, the Bearcats held on to win 6-5.

“[Boston University] is a veteran team with a great pitching staff and an offense that never lets up,” Bump wrote. “Obviously, we would’ve liked a better outcome, but something we talked about is not losing two in a row, and just competing better in our [at-bats] and we did that.”

The Bearcats played another doubleheader on Saturday taking on SIUE (1-4) and Stetson for the second time. Binghamton carried its momentum from the previous day against SIUE, exploding for seven runs by the fifth inning. Binghamton struck first in the second inning, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts. Another two runs would be scored in both the third and fourth innings off of errors by SIUE’s shortstop, and the Bearcats did not look back, winning 7-3. Roberts recorded the win, pitching five innings and striking out six, while giving up five hits and three runs, only two of which were earned.

Binghamton’s second game against Stetson was an uphill battle. While BU scored in the first inning, Stetson responded by putting up four runs of their own in the second. Then, BU tacked on two more runs in the fifth to make it 4-3. In the sixth, Roberts hit a run-scoring double to complete the Bearcat comeback and tie the game at four. Binghamton then scored three runs in the top of the seventh, with the first two coming off a two-RBI double by sophomore catcher Emma Lawson and the third being driven in by senior catcher Hailey Ehlers. Stetson plated a run of its own in the bottom of the seventh, but Binghamton held on to win the game 7-5.

“We were able to execute early to get ahead, went down by three and then really rallied back with some great [at-bats],” Bump wrote. “[Sophomore piticher Olivia Kennedy] threw the final 4 and showed great composure in some tough moments.”

BU played one final game on Sunday, a morning matchup against SIUE, which saw a pitching duel. L’Amoreaux pitched all seven innings, striking out six while giving up six hits and one earned run. SIUE captured the lead in the fifth inning and led into the final frame of the game. With BU down by one, Lawson came up big with a two-run single to walk the game off in the seventh inning, as the Bearcats won 2-1.

“I was really proud of the seventh inning … we had a freshman lead off with a double, a freshman come back from a 0-2 count to walk and then a sophomore come up clutch with the walk-off,” Bump wrote. “We have talent in every class, and they all stepped up in their own ways this weekend.”

Binghamton will be back in action next week at the Winthrop Eagle Classic with its first game against the University of South Carolina- Upstate on Friday, Feb. 16. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Terry Field in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

After squeezing out a 63-57 win over Loyola, the Binghamton men’s basketball extended its winning streak to three games after emerging victorious against Marist 82-59. Although the Red Foxes took an early lead, the Bearcats quickly recovered and began to pull away, going into halftime with a 14-point lead. In the second half, BU controlled the tempo and maintained its lead to secure a 23-point victory.

“It was a total team win,” said Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders. “I thought our guys came out and competed. I thought we did a really good job defensively. We didn’t let them beat us to the 50-50 balls. They didn’t out-hustle us. That’s how Marist plays, but I thought we did a good job of competing for 40 minutes.”

The game started with both teams trading baskets, with the Red Foxes (2-1) taking an early 9-6 lead. Then, Binghamton’s (3-2) offense started to get into a groove, gaining some momentum after sophomore guard Chris Walker drained a deep three-pointer to put BU ahead 14-11. The Bearcats capitalized off Marist’s fouls at several points early in the game as they grew their lead.

“We just try to punish teams for their mistakes,” Sanders said. “I think if we can play the game the right way in terms of just taking what the defense gives to us, taking what teams are doing and being able to adjust to it on the fly. I think we gave ourselves an opportunity to have some success.”

Three-point shooting was central to Binghamton’s offensive effort. Graduate student guard Dan Petcash made several key plays for BU. After receiving a long pass down the floor from Walker, Petcash put the ball through the net to make the score 22-13. Marist tried to counter with a long pass up the floor of its own, however, Petcash intercepted the pass. Petcash then capitalized, hitting a corner three-pointer. Not long after, Petcash made another shot from beyond the arc to give BU a 28-15 lead. Going into halftime, the Bearcats led the Red Foxes 38-24.

“It started with defense, whenever we can get stops we can push the ball in transition and then cause some confusion,” Sanders said. “And then we actually ran a couple things for [Petcash] and he got open and he made some shots. With us, it’s always going to start on the defensive end. I’m happy we were able to hold them to 59 points, under 60, which is something we always shoot for.”

At the start of the second half, Marist looked sharp, but the Bearcats continued to maintain their lead. Walker caught fire, hitting three consecutive three-pointers to put BU up 62-41. With just over two minutes left, BU went by 28 — its largest lead of the game — after freshman guard Max Sims converted on an and-one opportunity. Ultimately, the Red Foxes were unable to withstand BU’s offensive prowess. When the final buzzer sounded, Binghamton came away with an 82-59 win.

“We identified three things for us to become a better offensive team,” Sanders said. “Shooting from the three-point line, shooting at a high percentage from the free throw line and not turning the ball over. It’s still a work in progress, but if we can get the right guys taking good shots, I believe that we’ve got guys that can make shots consistently. Guys like [Petcash] and [Walker], we want those guys shooting because they’re really good shooters.”

Walker propelled the Bearcat offense, scoring 19 points and going five for seven from the three-point line. Right behind him was Petcash who put up 16 points. In addition, Binghamton’s defense held strong, holding the Red Foxes to just a 38.2 percent field goal percentage and a 26.3 percent three-point field goal percentage.

“On the offense, [Marist] plays a two-guard lineup,” Sanders said. “They set a lot of back screens and they usually get a lot of their baskets underneath and so we were switching that. We didn’t give them an opportunity to get those types of baskets. And then we kind of forced them to play kind of one-on-one against us. Our guys are really good at guarding one-on-one, so when we can figure out your actions we can not let you score off that.”

Binghamton will face off against Sacred Heart on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the William H. Pitt Health and Convocation Center in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Coming off of a 1-0 win in the America East (AE) quarterfinals over UMBC, the Binghamton men’s soccer team’s season came to an end on Wednesday night with a 3-1 loss to No. 2 Bryant in the America East (AE) semifinals. Bryant was in the driver’s seat for the duration of the match, controlling possession and limiting Binghamton to just two shots in 90 minutes.

“I didn’t think we started really well,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “We didn’t leak any soft goals. [Bryant] got two good goals in the first half, and a set piece in the second half. They’re a very good team — one of the top college teams this year — and we’ve played a heck of a schedule. We’ve played maybe seven or eight nationally ranked teams this year. Our conference is just loaded. We just would want to have been playing on Sunday.”

The match began with space being tight for both teams, as Binghamton’s (5-10-3, 2-3-3 AE) and Bryant’s (15-1-2, 5-1-2 AE) defenses looked to suffocate their opposition’s attack. After the first five minutes, though, the middle of the field began to open up and the Bulldogs began to take control.

Bryant controlled the pace of the game with possession of the ball, making sure to not give the Bearcats any openings. When the Bulldogs did get shots, they capitalized. In the 23rd minute, Bryant was able to get the ball in front of the Bearcats’ goal. The Bulldogs proceeded to arc a shot into the goal past graduate student goalkeeper Dylan McDermott to take a 1-0 lead over Binghamton.

Binghamton looked to play more aggressively after Bryant’s goal. However, the Bulldogs stifled any attempt at a Bearcat attack and continued to increase the pressure. Once again, Bryant was rewarded in the 39th minute. The Bulldogs crossed the ball into the Binghamton box, where one of their forwards was waiting to head it in as Bryant went up 2-0. Despite a late Bryant foul that gave Binghamton a long free kick, the score would remain 2-0 going into halftime.

“Bryant only has four goals against on the season until tonight’s game,” Marco said. “They’re averaging a lot of goals per game, and they’re not conceding goals period. So you need to look at how that happens. They have the ball a lot. Their passing is high for a college team. They have very good, mature players who are excellent on the ball. If you don’t give up goals on set pieces, errors and counterattacks, you win a tremendous amount of games.”

The second half began in the same way as the first ended, Bryant continued to build pressure on the Bearcats while stifling any Binghamton attacks. Bryant would get another chance to add to its lead in the 54th minute. While breaking toward the Binghamton net, a Bryant forward was tripped and fouled, leading to a free-kick opportunity. The Bulldogs were then able to thread the ball through the Binghamton defense and past McDermott, making it a three-goal game.

“I thought our goalkeeper could have done a little better on the third goal,” Marco said. “If we said to [McDermott] ‘do you want that one back,’ he would want that moment back.”

The Bearcats continued to fight to get back into the game and finally got on the board in the 76th minute. A throw-in by graduate student back Michael Bush was sent long into the box. After bouncing off senior back Will Noecker, it came to sophomore midfielder Calvin Moe, who put the ball past the Bryant keeper to make it a 3-1 game.

“We have been practicing our set pieces because we know that’s going to be a way we can get a goal,” Marco said. “[Bush] has a very long throw for us, so we put players in key positions and certain areas and [Noecker] is one of them. We’re just trying to flick a ball into space and the ball falls for [Moe] and he puts the ball in the goal.”

Moe’s goal would turn out to be the last of the match, with the score remaining at 3-1 in favor of Bryant until the final whistle. For the second consecutive year, Binghamton’s season has come to an end in the AE semifinals, as the Bearcats were eliminated by UNH in the AE semifinals just a year ago.

With the season now concluded, Binghamton’s focus will now shift to next season as the Bearcats’ future looks to be bright. Freshman forward/midfielder Marcus Nahim and freshman midfielder Alex Balkey earned AE all-conference honors, as they were both named to the 2023 AE all-rookie team.

“I think the group that I have are first-class guys,” Marco said, “We’ve got no bad apples in this group. What’s disappointing is for the time, energy and effort you put in, it’s just such a short season. I just wish I had more time to be with them and more games to play with them. We are getting better. If we had started in August where we are now I’d really like to see where this group could go.”

As the final whistle sounded in Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday night, history had repeated itself for the Binghamton men’s soccer team as it was able to knock off UMBC for the second straight year — in a 1-0 match — to advance to America East (AE) semifinals. The game was tight for the majority of the duration, but a strong defensive effort and a late goal from BU secured a 1-0 win for the Bearcats.

“I thought the first half was our best performance for 45 minutes all year,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “I thought the guys were outstanding.”

Binghamton (5-9-3, 3-2-3 AE) and the Retrievers (7-4-5, 3-2-3 AE) opened up the match in a deadlock. Each side had their chances in the first 10 minutes, but neither were able to capitalize. BU was able to gain an edge, having more possession and the closest chance at a goal during the early period of the match. In the eighth minute, the Bearcats found themselves in a footrace with the UMBC goalkeeper for a ball loose in UMBC’s defensive end. Ultimately, the UMBC goalkeeper would get to the ball first and the match would remain scoreless.

The Retrievers would have their own chance at BU’s graduate student goalkeeper Dylan McDermott in the 12th minute. McDermott came out of his box to attempt to get a Retriever pass out of danger, narrowly avoiding a charging UMBC forward to clear the ball away. UMBC would build on its momentum in the middle of the half, maintaining possession near Binghamton’s goal and having several chances to get on the board.

“I think both of our goalkeepers have been really good in the last three to four weeks,” Marco said. “They just have been working really hard. Today’s performance was a culmination of the hard work those two guys have been putting in.”

The Bearcats regained some of their lost momentum toward the end of the half, but their efforts produced little result, as the halftime whistle sounded with the score tied at zero. Team defense was the story of the first half for both sides as both Binghamton and UMBC’s defensive fronts held strong, limiting opposing chances and keeping their respective teams in the match.

The second half would start similarly to the first, with both teams playing strong defense, being locked in a battle for possession. UMBC would get their best chance yet in the 48th minute when a Retriever forward brought the ball into Binghamton’s penalty box, drawing a foul and earning a penalty shot. Luckily for the Bearcats, McDermott made a save to keep the ball out of the back of the net, keeping UMBC off the board.

The Retrievers continued to apply pressure for much of the rest of the half while BU’s efforts to get on the board persisted. In the 78th minute, the Bearcats were able to finally cash in. Redshirt senior midfielder Anthony Lazaridis brought the ball into UMBC’s half of the field and shot a long pass through multiple Retriever defenders and junior midfielder Billy Clark, which made its way to senior midfielder Markos Touroukis. Touroukis was able to gain possession and put a shot on the net, sending it past the keeper to put the Bearcats up 1-0.

“The best part of the goal outside of the finish is the dummy that [Clark] does,” Marco said. “The ball is played to [Clark], and he lets it run through to [Touroukis] and he hits it first time. It was a great goal. It was one of the best goals we’ve scored all year. The awareness [Clark] had to let the ball run past him was outstanding. He should get the assist just as well as [Lazaridis]. I’m just really proud of the guys.”

UMBC lost most of their remaining momentum after the Binghamton goal, managing only sparse chances going into the final minute. UMBC fought to the end, though, nearly scoring twice in the final 10 seconds off of a last-minute corner kick. Ultimately, the Bearcats were able to keep the ball out of the back of their net to earn a 1-0 victory and punch their ticket to the next round of the AE tournament.

“When we played Bryant the first time and got beat really badly we didn’t have some of our players who are currently playing, and we weren’t playing with the swagger we are right now,” Marco said. “Bryant has one loss on the season. They’re a great team, [so] we’ll have to be on our game for 90 minutes. I can’t wait to take that bus ride there. This team is ready to play.”

Binghamton is set to play No. 2 Bryant in an AE semi-final matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

In his first season with the Bearcats after transferring from Rider University, senior forward Nehemiah Benson is looking to accomplish big things. Benson played his high school ball at Streetsboro High School and Lutheran East High School in his home state of Ohio, competing in a state championship game during his time there. After high school, Benson went on to play three years for Rider in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), appearing in a total of 79 games for the Broncs. However, Benson desired to play a more major role and decided to transfer to Binghamton.

“I really wanted the opportunity to show everything I could do and all the things I believe I can do,” Benson said.

Benson credited the Binghamton coaching staff with making him choose Binghamton as the place he wanted to spend his senior season, praising their approach and ability to create a strong locker room culture.

“I really felt like Binghamton was the right place for me,” Benson said. “On my visit with the coaching staff, I really loved them. They let you figure out stuff. They let you do stuff. They let you try to be the best player you can be. I really got that vibe from them and I feel like through it all they’re going to have your back.”

Benson believes his time in the MAAC will give him a significant advantage against America East (AE) competition.

“It’s a very tough-nosed type of conference,” Benson said. “Throughout my years at Rider, I feel like I learned how to deal with the adversity you will face throughout a season and how to be able to push through anything. I learned how to be a great teammate, to let them know that in tough moments everything is okay and we can still accomplish our goals.”

Benson was a significant piece for Rider, especially in his sophomore season in 2021-22, where he played over 439 total minutes, grabbed 81 rebounds and shot 45.3 percent from the field. Throughout his entire three-year term for the Broncs, Benson played over 800 minutes, accrued 147 rebounds and shot 42.6 percent from the field.

With the season right around the corner, Benson has high expectations for both himself and the team. He feels that keeping true to himself and staying level will be the key to his success this year.

“I want to be the best version of myself,” Benson said. “I want to be a person that the team can look to at any moment that will bring the positivity they need. As a whole, I feel like our team offensively and defensively has a lot of pieces and putting it all together is the main thing we really have to do. As a team, I really want us to finish number one in the [AE]. I want to be able to bring a championship to Binghamton and have us be able to go dancing.

His personal goals include winning AE newcomer of the year and feels that he has the ability to do so with his skillset on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

“Personally, I really want to try and win newcomer of the year in the [AE],” Benson said. “I really feel like I can do that by keeping true to myself and being the biggest impact on my team and in the [AE] — scoring consistently, being a great defender and getting on the offensive glass and the glass as a whole.”

Benson expressed how the fans will be a key contributor to the team’s success this season as well. Winning a conference championship and going to March Madness isn’t easy, but Benson believes that with the fans’ help, he and the team can make that a reality.

“I really want the fans to bring the most energy to our games,” Benson said. “We’re going to feed off their energy, and I know they’re going to feed off of ours. We don’t plan to disappoint.”

As the final whistle sounded on Sunday, the America East (AE) women’s soccer playoff picture became clearer as Binghamton and Maine, the two top teams in AE standings, settled for a 2-2 tie after the Bearcats were able to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the first half. In the process, BU increased its unbeaten streak to eight and remained in first place in the conference.

“It’s nice that we at this point have succeeded in terms of getting the quarterfinal bye and having a home semifinal,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “So I’m disappointed about the goals, but to have the team come back and set ourselves up in a good spot — if you told me at the beginning of the season we’ve got to get a result, we’d be happy with that. So we’re still in good shape.”

After trading chances through the first four minutes, the Black Bears (9-1-5, 4-1-2 AE) found an opening. A foul by Binghamton (5-4-6, 4-0-3 AE) in the third minute gave Maine a free kick in the offensive zone. Instead of sending it toward the Binghamton net, Maine sent the ball to the corner. Eventually, the ball was sent into the Bearcats’ box and to the back of the net as Maine went up 1-0.

After Maine’s goal, Binghamton had several close chances of their own. In the 14th minute, freshman forward Paige Luke was able to break in and receive a pass to get a breakaway opportunity. However, Maine’s goalkeeper was able to keep her shot out of the net. Minutes later, a Bearcat foul would lead to a Maine goal. In the 18th minute, the Bearcats committed a foul and gave Maine a penalty shot. The Black Bears made the most of their opportunity, putting the ball away to go up 2-0.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to deal with a couple of key moments on fouls that led to a couple of set-piece goals,” Bhattacharjee said. “We really have not been giving up set-piece goals throughout the course of the season. So it’s one of those things that ended up being an equalizer tonight. But again, you know, we’ll learn from it. We might have an opportunity to see Maine again, so hopefully if that happens we’ll be able to control a little bit better.”

The teams would continue to trade chances after the second goal. The Bearcats eventually broke through in the 35th minute. After being awarded a corner kick, senior defender Lexi Vegoda skied the ball into the box. The ball then went to graduate student midfielder Olivia McKnight, who shot it over the Black Bears keeper and into the net to make it a 2-1 game going into halftime.

“I think it was critical to get on the board before the half,” McKnight said. “The corner came in. [Vegoda] has great balls every time. A couple of girls fought for the ball. I just took a touch and found the open goal. I knew we needed that goal, everyone was pressing forward and putting their bodies on the line. Getting that goal before the half definitely lifted our spirits and then we knew we could come back and either tie or win.”

The second half started similarly to the first, with both teams trading time on the attack. In the 59th minute, the Bearcats were able to create space deep in the offensive zone. Graduate student defender Grace Vittoria then crossed the ball to Luke close into the Maine box. After receiving the pass, Luke then put the ball past the keeper to tie the game at 2-2.

“[Luke’s] finish was just class,” Bhattacharjee said. “So really, really well done. For us, we’ll take it, you know — like I said, they’re a good defensive team. They’re hard to break down. The fact that we got two goals, especially being down from that 2-0 deficit. You know, we’ll get on a roll from here and get ready for Thursday.”

The game would become increasingly physical as the half went on. Neither team looked to settle for the tie, as both teams had their chances during the match’s final minutes. Ultimately, the score would remain as it was, with the game ending in a 2-2 draw.

Binghamton will hit to road to take on NJIT, in its final regular season matchup, on Thursday, Oct. 26. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Lubetkin Field in Newark, New Jersey.

Coming off a comeback 3-1 win against Albany last week, Binghamton suffered its first loss of America East (AE) play on Saturday in a 5-0 defeat to No. 22 Vermont during BU’s homecoming weekend. Despite only letting up one goal to the Catamounts in the first half, the Bearcats were unable to match the speed and aggressiveness of the nationally-ranked Catamounts, allowing four goals within a 15-minute timespan in the second half en route to a 5-0 loss.

“Vermont was excellent in the game,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “What’s most disappointing for us is that at halftime our conversations were about things that were going well for us in the first half. I felt like we were pretty good throughout the first period. We had a great chance to go up 1-0 and we missed the target, a free header. And then the goal we conceded in the first half was disappointing, it’s our goal kick, we just should do better in that moment.”

The match began with both Binghamton (3-7-2, 1-1-2 AE) and Vermont (9-2-2, 3-1-0 AE) jockeying for possession of the ball. The Catamounts would win the possession battle after creating and exploiting BU turnovers. At numerous points in the first half, the Bearcats attempted to break into an attack, only for their effort to be stymied and turned over by the Catamounts.

“[Vermont is] terrific in the air,” Marco said. “They have three or four players that are giants in the air. They were fast, their anticipation was really good [and] they always seemed to be on the front foot. And we caused a lot of our own mistakes by not having good starting positions. There’s only a 15-minute span where we just really struggled to deal with the amount of pressure they were applying and to handle the chaos at the moment. We weren’t up for that challenge.”

The Catamounts had several chances in the first 10 minutes and managed to break through in the 13th minute. Vermont took possession of a Binghamton goal kick, taking it into the Bearcats’ offensive zone. Then, the Catamounts launched the ball across the field to one of their forward, who broke past BU’s defense and found the back of the net, making it a 1-0 game.

“Our guys were probably a little too high,” Marco said. “We were getting away from each other a little bit and leaving too much space behind us and then we just had a guy mistrack a player. It was a very good goal, but probably we shouldn’t have been put in that situation.”

The remaining 32 minutes of the half played out much the same, with Binghamton managing to diffuse several opportunities from Vermont. In particular, in the 25th minute, the Bearcats blocked three shots from the Catamounts. The Bearcats had isolated chances, however, they were never able to maintain offensive zone possession, with the Vermont defense consistently tracking down the ball.

Vermont would continue to control the pace of play in the second half, scoring four goals in quick succession to jump out to a 5-0 lead. The Catamounts got on the board off of a corner kick in the 56th minute, with the ball being shot into the box and headed in. Vermont’s second goal came in the 62nd minute — after the Catamounts took advantage of a BU turnover and capitalized with a goal.

“I think we lost concentration in the moment, which is vital in our game,” Marco said. “You lose concentration in a moment in soccer, and bad things can happen.”

Then, just two minutes later, a Catamount forward was left uncovered by the Binghamton defense and was fed the ball into a breakaway opportunity that allowed him to find the back of the net to make it 4-0. Vermont’s final goal came in the 69th minute, as another Binghamton turnover was taken in by the Catamounts and put in the back of the net. When the clock ran out, BU found itself on the losing end of things, suffering a 5-0 defeat.

“I think for us to continue to improve this season and for us to still make a run for playoffs, our aggressiveness can’t dip,” Marco said. “That dipped in the game, and our concentration level had to stay at a high. It really felt like the last three weeks the gap between our performance and our potential was very close and I felt like last night, in those 15 minutes, we were so far from our potential that it really hurt us.”

Binghamton will remain at home to take on Cornell on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

After settling for a 1-1 tie last week against NJIT, the Binghamton men’s soccer team secured its first America East (AE) conference win on Saturday night with a 3-1 victory at Albany. Despite the heavy rain and a sluggish first half that ended with a 1-1 deadlock, the Bearcats rallied in the second half to score two more goals — in a four-minute span — winning in Albany for the first time since 2015.

“What a wonderful job by the guys to come back from 1-0 down to win 3-1,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “What a competitive, disciplined performance we got from the guys tonight.”

Albany’s (4-7-1, 0-2-1 AE) offense was relentless in its attack in the first half, controlling possession for almost the entirety of the period. The Bearcats’ (3-6-2, 1-0-2 AE) defense was able to diffuse most of the Great Danes’ dangerous chances, keeping Albany to the outside, where quality chances were hard to come by. BU thought it had got on the board with a goal in the 29th minute by way of a free kick, but it was called back due to an offsides call.

The match continued with Albany constantly pressing and Binghamton responding on defense while simultaneously looking for an opening. The Bearcats seemed to have another opportunity in the 30th minute, driving up the field and being awarded a throw-in close to the Albany goal. However, the Great Danes managed to gain possession and catch up to the Bearcats — further up the field. Albany was able to drive down the field and create a two-on-one opportunity, putting the ball in the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead.

“We train often about stopping counter-attacks off set pieces,” Marco said. “And for us to give up the first goal that way was extremely disappointing. There’s a couple of guys who are responsible for negating counter-attacks and we just didn’t do a good enough job. Give credit to Albany. They did really well in that moment.”

Despite the goal, Binghamton continued to try to get on the board while defusing multiple chances from Albany. Eventually, the Bearcats were rewarded for their efforts at the end of the first half. In the 40th minute, BU began to apply more pressure on Albany’s defense. Not long after, the Great Danes made an error that resulted in an own goal, allowing Binghamton to tie the score at one going into halftime.

The Bearcats built on the momentum they gained at the end of the first, launching multiple attacks toward Albanys’ goal. After several failed chances, BU broke through in the 68th minute. A Binghamton throw-in was directed into the box, where it deflected off an Albany player to freshman forward Anthony Randazzo. Randazzo was then able to gain possession and put the ball past the Albany keeper for his first collegiate goal, giving the Bearcats a 2-1 advantage.

“The message at half-time was to keep our foot on the gas and continue to not let the game settle in, continue to be forceful with the ball, continue to be forceful without the ball and then to make sure we had good layers of players who win first and second balls,” Marco said. “I thought the guys were terrific at it tonight.”

The Bearcats struck again four minutes later. With another throw-in opportunity, close to the Albany net, graduate student back Michael Bush launched a ball toward the head of sophomore midfielder Calvin Moe, who headed it into the net to record his first goal of the season, giving Binghamton a 3-1 lead. The BU defense continued to keep Albany at bay, turning away several Albany attacks in the last 10 minutes of the game to secure the 3-1 victory.

“I thought our guys were very good individually, whether it was in the air or on the ground,” Marco said. “And then collectively our back four with our two holding midfielders were very, very good today. They were fantastic.”

Binghamton will return home to take on Vermont in its homecoming match on Saturday, Oct. 14. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.