The men’s squad placed third out of 38 teams, while the women’s placed third out of 39. Between both teams, the Bearcats had six medalists, the most they have achieved in the Paul Short Brown Race.

(0:25) “Both teams, I thought, had good performances overall,” said Binghamton head coach Annette Acuff. “We had a lot of kids who ran personal bests on that course at Lehigh, and certainly it’s always nice to get a top-three finish as a team.”

On the men’s team, sophomore Bobby Mayclim placed 10th in the race out of 314 finishers, registering a time of 24:41.8 in the 8k. Following him was junior Liam Cody, who finished 24th with a time of 25:07.3, and senior Andrew Rosenblatt in 25th place with a time of 25:08.3. All three received medals for placing in the top 25 racers.

The Bearcats men’s squad had four more players finish in the top 100 for the team, sealing their third-place finish, trailing behind only George Washington and American.

(2:33) “It was definitely a nice performance by [Mayclim],” Acuff said. “It ended up just being a little hot running later in the afternoon. I think that affected us, more than anything, was just the heat.”

Meanwhile, the women’s squad was headlined by senior Sydney Leitner, who finished 12th overall in the 6k with a time of 21:16.0, and now holds the highest finish for the women’s team in its history in the Paul Short Brown Race. Along with Leitner, the team had two other medalists in sophomore Anna Gansrow, who finished in 20th with a time of 21:34.2, and freshman Alice Rappazzo, who finished in 22nd with a time of 21:36.0.

The women’s team saw three more Bearcats finish in the top 100, once again leading them to a third-place finish, falling only behind George Washington and Iona.

(3:36) “[Leitner’s] time was her second fastest ever on that course,” Acuff said. “So, considering the conditions with the heat, etc., certainly that was a great performance from her. Another good step forward from the Iona meet. We saw a lot of improvement with the team from Iona and Colgate to Lehigh.”

Just three of the finishers in the top 100 across both the men’s and women’s squads are in their last year with the team, as many of the team’s top players will maintain NCAA eligibility beyond the 2025 campaign. Most notably, Mayclim, Gansrow and Rappazzo currently possess at minimum two years of future NCAA eligibility.

(5:22) “We have one more good opportunity to put in a hard week of training this week,” Acuff said. “So that’s our plan, to get in another really good week of training, and then get ready for Canisius, give everyone another opportunity to compete one last time.”

The cross country team will next compete at the Canisius Alumni Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Buffalo, New York The event is set to begin at Delaware Park at noon.

The first set proved to be the tightest of the match, with the score tied throughout much of the first half. After Albany (6-7, 1-0 AE) tied the set 14-14, Binghamton (5-9, 0-1 AE) embarked on a five-point run, thanks in part to three attack errors by its opponents, putting them up 19-14. The Great Danes followed with a 5-1 run of their own, bringing the score back within one, before Binghamton went on a 4-2 run, bringing the game to 24-21.

Albany scored another four in a row to go up 25-24, before Binghamton tied the score at 25, and then again at 26 after its opponents scored once more. However, the Great Danes managed to close out the set with two unanswered points, winning 28-26.

“We did some really good things, but our serve and pass game was not on point tonight, which ultimately cost us the match,” Yaeger wrote.

The second set started in Binghamton’s favor, with the two teams trading leads multiple times before the Bearcats went on a 7-1 run, going up 12-8. However, the Great Danes followed up with six unanswered points. After that run, they refused to relinquish the lead, winning the set 25-17.

Despite the loss, graduate student setter Alexandra Koleva had seven assists, one kill and one block on the set.

“[Koleva] brings a lot of experience to this program,” Yaeger wrote. “We are happy to have her for her final season and we look forward to her continuing to move our offense in the right direction.”

Set three opened with Albany taking an early 3-0 lead, and it continued to maintain control for a majority of the set. The Bearcats started to challenge with a 5-2 run after being down 13-7, bringing the score to 15-12, but trailed for the remainder of the set. Both teams traded blows, ultimately ending the set at a final score of 25-20 and cementing the sweep victory for the Great Danes.

“This was only one match,” Yaeger wrote. “We have 9 left to play. This loss was on us, which is a good thing because we control us. We beat ourselves tonight and will continue to work on us and making progress towards a championship.”

Binghamton will continue its season against Colgate on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“I thought a draw was a pretty fair result,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “We knew Cornell was going to be a good side, they were pretty good at transition, pretty good in the air and we knew they were good enough to create a couple of chances, which they did.”

The Bearcats (5-1-2) registered the first shot of the game in the third minute, with sophomore forward Alexus Worrell narrowly missing out the top. Binghamton’s next chance to score came in the 23rd minute, when junior midfielder/forward Paige Luke rattled off a shot that struck the goalpost and bounced back into play. Despite not taking the first shot, Cornell (2-2-4) had six total shots to Binghamton’s five in the first half and two shots on goal, both of which were saved by Kessler.

“[Kessler‘s] positioning has been very good in terms of how she plays angles, cuts angles down,” Bhattacharjee said. “So we can rely on her to make the routine saves, and then today we needed her to make a couple of bigger saves.”

In the second half, Cornell came out of the gate with an aggressive offensive barrage, taking two shots that Kessler once again saved in the 46th and 48th minutes of play. The Big Red attempted four more unanswered shots, three of which were on target and saved by Kessler. Sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis took Binghamton’s first shot of the half at the 75th minute, which was immediately followed by another shot attempt from Cornell during the 76th minute.

The Bearcats took just one more shot in the 88th minute, failing to register a single shot on goal as they forced a 0-0 draw. The match marked Binghamton’s second shutout this season, both of which resulted in draws.

“We were right there in terms of creating a couple very good chances,” Bhattacharjee said regarding the team’s offense. “Unfortunately, just on the day, we weren’t able to convert them to a goal.”

The Bearcats are set to begin conference play next Sunday when they take on UMBC. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton’s doubleheader against Mercyhurst and Canisius on Friday resulted in a pair of 3-0 sweeps, while its final match against Bucknell saw the Bearcats secure the crown in a 3-2 comeback victory.

“This weekend was huge for us, to be able to have three wins consecutively under our belt,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We haven’t been able to do that all season, so I think it gives confidence to the girls. It gives them a taste of winning, which we need with how young we are as a team.”

Game one saw Binghamton (4-6) take on Mercyhurst (2-8) to open the weekend’s tournament on Friday morning. In the first set, the Bearcats quickly took the lead thanks to a four-point run to go up 9-6, and they would not give up the lead for the rest of the set, winning 25-19.

Set two was a much closer battle, with Mercyhurst at one point holding a 19-14 lead. However, the Bearcats brought the match to a tie after a five-point run, thanks in part to back-to-back kills by sophomore outside hitter Briana Binagi, eventually winning the set 27-25.

The third set once again saw Binghamton take an early lead that it refused to relinquish, winning 25-19 and sweeping the Lakers. The game also marked the return of America East Preseason All-Conference selection with sophomore right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova, who racked up 31 kills over the weekend.

“We’ve been waiting a while to get her back into the starting lineup,” Yaeger said.

“This is a good weekend to play these teams and get her out there and just see what she looks like, so it’s exciting to have her back,” Yaeger continued. “The biggest thing is that she stays healthy for us.”

Game two saw the Bearcats face Canisius (1-8) later in the evening on Friday. The first set saw the two teams going back and forth, with Binghamton maintaining a slight edge over Canisius until a 9-2 run gave it a 23-14 lead, resulting in a 25-16 victory.

The second set was Binghamton’s most dominant of the season, crushing the Golden Griffins 25-9, thanks in part to seven kills from reigning AE Rookie of the Week, freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown. The third set once again saw Binghamton control the lead for most of the set, winning 25-19 and securing their second sweep of the day.

“It’s nice always to win, and it’s nice to come off two wins,” Yaeger said. “I think it was great that Bucknell came off two wins as well, so we were kind of playing for the championship match there.”

Game three was the Bearcats’ closest of the weekend, as they took on Bucknell (3-6) on Saturday in the final match of the invitational. In the first set, the Bearcats and the Bison exchanged leads multiple times before Bucknell went on a 7-3 run to close out the first set 27-25. The two teams traded the next two sets, leaving Bucknell up 2-1 going into the fourth set.

Facing an 18-14 deficit in the fourth, Binghamton proceeded to go on an 11-2 run, winning the set 25-20 and forcing a fifth. In the last set, teams traded blows until Binghamton went on a four-point run to close out the set 15-12, leaving the game with a final score of 3-2 and cementing the Bearcats as the winner of the invitational.

Coblentz-Brown, senior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic and graduate student setter Alexandra Koleva were named to the all-tournament team.

“Momentum is everything,” Yaeger said, following the victory. “I talk about that word all the time. When you get the momentum with the sport of volleyball, you can do so much stuff — it doesn’t matter how many points you’re down.”

The Bearcats are set to compete in the Michigan State Invitational next week. Tip-off for their first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan.

Thursday’s match against Syracuse was played in heavy rain and ended an eight-game losing streak against the Orange, while Sunday’s bout against Colgate saw Binghamton score thrice in the second half en route to a 3-2 victory.

“Generally overall, we were pretty pleased in terms of our performance,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “We’ve played Syracuse the last four years, and it’s been a one-goal loss, and the last two years we felt like we’ve pretty much been with them. But this year, going into it, we felt like we were the better team.”

Thursday’s match against Syracuse (4-1-3) saw Binghamton (5-1-1) open aggressively, searching for the back of the net by taking four shots in the first 16 minutes of the game. Syracuse responded with a couple shots of their own before Binghamton outshot Syracuse 4-2 in the last 10 minutes of the period. Despite the deadlock heading into the half, Binghamton registered four more shots on goal than Syracuse, outshooting the Orange 8-4.

“We were the aggressor right from the start of the game, put them under pressure, made it really difficult for them to play,” Bhattacharjee said. “And I’m happy with the performance and how everyone stuck to the game plan.”

The second period saw Syracuse attack Binghamton more aggressively, attempting eight shots on goal, all of which were saved by junior goalkeeper Rebecca Kessler. Kessler recorded a career-high eight saves, helping lead the Bearcats to their first defensive shutout of the season.

Despite attempting 14 shots on the night, Binghamton’s offense was unable to find the net, ending the game 0-0 for their first draw of the season.

Sunday’s game saw the Bearcats take on Colgate (1-3-3), only to quickly trail 1-0 as the Raiders found twine in the 16th minute. The Bearcats struggled offensively in the first half, registering just one shot on goal in the 40th minute. Despite the performance, they held Colgate to just one more shot through the rest of the half.

“Not really the first half we wanted,” Bhattacharjee said. “We didn’t quite play with the defensive pressure we wanted or [do] some of the things that we wanted to do as far as we were expecting to take care of in our game plan.”

After only registering one shot attempt in the first half, the second half saw Binghamton apply significant offensive pressure, with their first goal of the game coming at the 55th minute courtesy of junior midfield/forward Paige Luke. Binghamton continued to rally with another goal in the 69th minute when Luke assisted freshman defender Ale Victoriano. Colgate, however, quickly responded with a goal of their own at the 74th minute, tying the game at 2-2.

The game remained tied until the Bearcats scored at the 84th minute when Luke found sophomore forward Alexus Worrell. Colgate failed to find twine for the remainder of the match, bringing another victory for the Bearcats.

“[Luke] is doing great, I just give her so much credit for all the energy she brings,” Bhattacharjee said. “For her having had surgery last November, and then for her to come back in the type of shape she is and the work rate that she does, it’s just a big kudos to her.”

The Bearcats will look to continue their strong start to the season on Sunday, Sept. 14, when they take on Cornell. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Charles F. Berman Field in Ithaca, New York.

“We’re really young, and we have a brand new team this year,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We’re experimenting right now and we’re just trying to see what sticks. We’re throwing a lot of stuff on the wall and seeing what sticks and what doesn’t stick.”

The Bearcats (0-4) opened their season Friday, playing their first match against Fordham (3-0) and losing 3-2 in a close game. After dropping the first set 25-14, Binghamton started off the second set slow, trailing 23-19, until a second-half comeback saw the team score six straight points, ending with a 25-23 victory.

Falling 25-22 in the third set, the Bearcats eked out a 27-25 win in the fourth. However, they were unable to close the match, losing the final set at a score of 15-10.

“I mean, we fight,” Yaeger said about the team’s comeback victory in the second set. “If you saw us fresh this weekend in Friday and Saturday’s early games, we fight. We definitely are a team that fights a lot, and we have some good older leadership on the team.”

“But we have a lot of freshmen on the team too that need to learn the culture, and that is to fight, and that is to win,” she continued.

Game two was part of a doubleheader for the Bearcats on Saturday. In the first match, they faced the University of Connecticut (3-0), where they lost yet another close game 3-2.

Binghamton won its first set against the Huskies 25-23, before dropping the next two at 25-18 and 25-11. The team once again forced a fourth set with another 25-23 win, only to lose in the final set 15-9.

Game three was played later that day against Lehigh (2-1), wrapping up the Bearcat Classic tournament. Despite dropping all three sets, the Bearcats managed to keep things close, particularly in the third and final set, extending the frame and losing 26-24.

Despite Binghamton’s losses in the tournament, Olmstead was named to the Bearcat Classic All-Tournament Team after recording 20 kills, 10 block assists and three digs over three games.

“I thought [Olmstead] did a great job stepping up to the plate and really coming through for us in the middle of this weekend, and that goes for a lot of our freshmen,” Yaeger said.

To close out the weekend, Binghamton played an additional game on Sunday against Hofstra (1-0), hoping to take home a win after three straight losses. However, the Bearcats failed to win a single set, losing 3-0 and ending the weekend with another defeat.

Leading the squad in kills for the final three matches of the weekend was Smajlovic, who totaled 51 kills and 48 digs over the opening weekend. She led the team in kills in three of its four games, including in Sunday’s loss against Hofstra.

“[Smajlovic] right now is one of our go-to players,” Yaeger commented. “She’s great in six rotations, her defense makes such a difference for us in the back row and even her attacking at times in the back row is huge. She plays a huge role for us. I think she’s such a great leader, too, for our younger players to look up to her and see what kind of player they want to become from her.”

Binghamton will continue its season at the Black Knight Invitational, taking on Rider this Friday, Sept. 5. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Gillis Field House in West Point, New York.

“I feel like I worked pretty hard for [the award],” Johnson said. “This year, the year I had and just the build up to this, I’m excited and fortunate to have received that.”

Johnson earned multiple America East nods throughout the season, being named the Men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer for his win in the 400 hurdles and anchoring the winning 4×400 relay team at the America East Outdoor Meet, which took place from May 3 to May 4. On April 15, he was also named the America East Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

Along with the awards, Johnson earned gold in numerous events this season, including the triple jump at the America East Indoor Championships, the 200 at the Gulden Invitational and the 400 hurdles at the Colonial Relays.

“I feel like [my season] was really good,” Johnson said. “I think it was a culmination of just a whole bunch of years kind of put together. All that progress, all that training and learning kind of finally meshed into the perfect alignment. I stuck to my guns, and everything, it made sense this year.”

Entering this year, Johnson came off back-to-back successful seasons. In his junior year, he won the 200 meter at the Cornell Upstate Indoor Challenge, and in his senior season, he took home gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the America East Outdoor Championships. He was named to multiple honor rolls in both seasons.

Despite putting up two incredibly successful seasons, Johnson continued to improve, having an even better season this year. He told Pipe Dream about the mindset he and his coach had coming into the season.

“The motto was essentially, ‘complete the story,’” Johnson said. “’You came on as a walk on, barely made the team, and that story was cool, but how cool would it be to make it to Nationals?’ Throughout the practice, throughout the training, that was kind of the motto, complete the story and just finish out strong.”

This was Johnson’s last season of eligibility to compete for Binghamton, and he finished out strong for the Bearcats. Among BU’s all-time program records, Johnson stands at seventh in the 400 hurdles with a time of 53.94, seventh in the long jump with a distance of 23-6 and third in the triple jump with a distance of 49-5 1/2, as of summer 2023. He was also a part of the distance medley relay team that holds the fifth all-time spot in Binghamton program history with a time of 9:48.54.

Johnson named his performance at the America East Outdoor Meet as his most memorable moment from the season.

“[It] would just be the regional meet, being that it was my last opportunity to compete with the team as a whole,” Johnson said. “We finished out with a four by four that we won it, we weren’t seeded to win it, so finishing it just the way I started with guys was ending on a high note, [earning] track performer of the meet, which was great.”

“And I think that was just a time that the team was all together, good vibes, good energy,” he continued.

In his second appearance at the NCAA East Region Meet qualifier, Johnson shattered his previous PR in the 400 hurdles, placing seventh with a time of 49.93 and earning a berth to the NCAA Track and Field Championships. At the Championships, Johnson’s collegiate career came to a close as he finished in 22nd place with a time of 52.57, earning honorable mention All-American honors for the first time.

“I thought we did a great job coming back after getting down early,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “And then once the rain started coming, I thought we did a really good job with the pitching, making sure that we secured the outs that we needed to get the win.”

The game started off slow with a scoreless first inning, but Cornell (11-20) blew open a considerable lead against Binghamton (21-19) in the top of the second, scoring five runs off of a string of hits. Senior catcher Evin Sullivan started the comeback for the Bearcats, hitting a solo home run off the first pitch he saw.

Senior outfielder Logan Haskell added on another run thanks to an RBI, putting the Bearcats three runs away from a tie game. Sullivan hit another bomb in the third inning, driving in two base runners and tying the game at 5-5.

“Sullivan did a terrific job, obviously offensively,” Sinicki said. “Getting us on the board and then tying things up with two big home runs.”

Binghamton continued to control the game in the fourth inning, which saw sophomore infielder Todd Abraham give his team the go-ahead run with an RBI single up the middle. Freshman outfielder Matt Bolton and senior catcher Zach Rogacki strung together back-to-back hits for two more RBIs, giving the team an 8-5 lead in the fourth inning.

The fifth inning remained scoreless, and the game was called in the sixth due to a thunderstorm. After the second inning, redshirt junior pitcher Caden Rothbaum and redshirt freshman pitcher Aiden Milburn allowed just one hit in nearly four innings.

“Except for one bad inning, we put up zeros the rest of the way,” Sinicki said when asked about the pitching. “I thought overall they did a pretty good job. They were right on [freshman pitcher Brady] Bouchard in the second inning for whatever reason, but his first inning was pretty clean, and then Rothbaum and Milburn did a really good job keeping them off the board and then giving us a chance to get on the board and then eventually take the lead.”

Binghamton plays a two-game series against Navy this weekend on the road. First pitch is scheduled for Saturday, May 3 at 1 p.m., at the Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

“We were just a little flat today,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “We had some chances that didn’t come through. Our pitching, I thought, was really good all weekend, but we just didn’t play well enough offensively and defensively.”

Game one saw UMass Lowell (16-26, 8-10 AE) take a 1-0 lead in the second inning when a River Hawk stole home. No teams scored again until the fifth inning when senior infielder Devan Bade hit a two-run homer to give Binghamton (20-19, 9-9 AE) the lead. Bade proceeded to score again in the seventh and ninth innings, with two RBI doubles on two straight hits, putting the team up 4-1.

BU continued to put up runs in the ninth inning, thanks to an RBI single from junior infielder Zack Kent and a bases-clearing RBI double by junior infielder Mike Stellrecht. Their opponents were unable to score, leading to a final score of 8-1. Game one also saw sophomore pitcher Hayden Tarsia pitch seven full innings while allowing just three hits and one earned run.

“[Tarsia is] pretty impressive for a kid that wasn’t in the starting rotation to begin the year,” Sinicki said. “I’m really proud of the fact that he has taken advantage of this opportunity and has made the most of it. He’s throwing the ball extremely well right now.”

In game two, UMass Lowell took a convincing lead early, scoring four runs in the third inning. Binghamton responded with a run of their own in the top of the fourth, courtesy of an RBI double by senior catcher Evin Sullivan. With another run in the bottom of the inning, the River Hawks tacked back onto their lead, making it 5-1.

The Bearcats put up one more run in the fifth off an RBI single from senior catcher Zach Rogacki, making it 5-2 and threatening a comeback in the ninth inning by driving in two more runs. They couldn’t finish the job, however, falling short at a final score of 5-4.

“We had opportunities to score runs in games two and three, we didn’t,” Sinicki said. “I know it sounds pretty simple, and in game one we kinda cashed in. Sometimes you’ve got to give credit to the other team. They’re trying to win as well, and unfortunately, they got the better of us in games two and three.”

Game three saw the River Hawks take another early lead, scoring one run in the second inning and another in the fifth. Binghamton’s first run came in the sixth inning, when graduate student first baseman Freddy Forgione hit an RBI single.

The Bearcats’ opponents added on a third run in the bottom of the sixth, but Binghamton answered with a run of its own in the eighth, thanks to a solo homer by Rogacki, keeping the team in the game at a score of 3-2. The River Hawks, however, managed to put up two more unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth. With the Bearcats unable to score in the ninth, the final score read 5-2.

“We played one of our best games of the year on Friday night,” Sinicki said. “Then we came out yesterday, and the rain delay and then the suspended game today. I thought we were a little flat today. I don’t know if we had a short night last night, a lot of waiting around, but no excuses.”

Binghamton will play its next game against Cornell on Tuesday, April 29. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, New York.

“Too cold for baseball,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki of the conditions during the game.

“Both of us as coaches just felt like it was really important to play last night to try to get that flow for our guys, and so we kind of gutted through it the best we could,” he added. “I’m happy we played but it was a tough night for sure.”

The first two innings of the game remained scoreless, with the only Bearcat to reach base being senior catcher Evin Sullivan on a walk. Binghamton (15-17, America East 5-7) took the lead in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a two-run home run by senior catcher Zach Rogacki, but Cornell (10-14, Ivy League 5-7) answered with a home run of its own in the top of the fourth. The bottom of the fourth saw the Bearcats expand their lead as they added three more runs. Two of the runs were driven in by walks with the bases loaded, while the third was scored off of a wild pitch.

“The ball was so slick; it was really hard to command pitches,” Sinicki said of the night’s pitching. “I thought our bookends did a really good job. I thought that [redshirt junior pitcher Caden Rothbaum] did a good job in his first two innings, and I thought [sophomore infielder Jake Dally] did a really good job in his final inning and a third.”

“When you go out and perform like that in the midweek game, you set yourself up to be in the forefront of my mind when I have to make decisions on the weekend as to who’s going to pitch in conference games,” Sinicki added.

Sullivan added to Binghamton’s lead with a solo home run in the fifth, making it a 6-1 ballgame. Cornell had a three-run inning in the top of the seventh thanks to an RBI single and another pair of walks with the bases loaded, threatening to take the lead.

The Bearcats, however, added some insurance, with two runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI double by junior infielder Zack Kent and a sacrifice bunt by junior infielder Mike Stellrecht to score Kent. The Big Red managed to put up one more run thanks to a solo home run in the eighth inning before the end of the game, but that was all the offense they would generate.

“He’s been [consistent],” Sinicki said of Kent’s performance. “When you hit in that sixth spot, it seems to be kind of an RBI spot, and he’s been really good in that role for us.”

Binghamton will take on NJIT this weekend to resume conference play. First pitch of the first game of the three-game set is scheduled for Friday, April 18, at 6 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Binghamton, New York.

“I think our offense is really rolling right now, and the girls are feeling really confident,” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump.

“I was really happy with how our pitchers kind of bounced back this weekend,” she added. “I just think this team’s gonna be tough to beat if we keep everything rolling.”

With a series-opening doubleheader on Friday afternoon, Bryant (11-21, 3-6 AE) took an early game-one lead with a two-run home run in the top of the first. Binghamton (20-11, 6-2 AE) responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, and sophomore utility Maddy Dodig knotted the game in the second with an RBI single. Dodig would continue to do damage at the dish by blasting a two-run homer in the fourth, giving Binghamton a 4-2 lead. The bottom of the fifth then opened with an RBI single, followed by a grand slam by senior outfielder Sarah Rende that put the game out of the Bulldogs’ reach.

Binghamton managed to put up one more run in the sixth inning before the close of the game, cementing a final score of 10-2. After the shaky start, Roberts settled in and put up a career-high 13 strikeouts in the game to earn her 10th win on the year.

“Giving up a home run early, it’s not the best, but I knew my team had my back, and I knew they were gonna come back with some runs because they’ve been hitting amazing all season,” Roberts said.

Game two soon followed, and it proved a much closer contest. Freshman infielder Rachel Carey sent out a solo bomb in the second frame to give BU the lead, but Bryant responded with four runs plated across the third and top of the fourth. A sac fly from Rende then opened up a breakout fourth inning that saw BU leverage a two-RBI double from graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos and a Bryant error to go up 6-4, with Carey homering again in the fifth for insurance.

Bryant would put up two more runs in the sixth inning, but Binghamton answered with one of its own before a scoreless seventh from freshman pitcher Savanna McHale left the final score 8-6.

“I think this group’s pretty resilient and tough,” Bump said. “Even that UMBC game we lost, we were down five runs, and we came back.

“So hopefully as the season goes on, you’re gonna continue to see good stuff from us,” she added.

The series finale was held on Saturday afternoon, and BU began its bid for the sweep, taking an early up 2-0 courtesy of a two-RBI single from junior catcher Emma Lawson in the first. Binghamton continued to apply offensive pressure, hitting three home runs in the third and fourth off the bats of sophomore infielder Elisa Allen, Lawson and junior outfielder Bella Farina. The three Bearcats combined for seven RBIs, while Roberts spun a shutout that saw just three Bulldogs reach base en route to a 9-0 mercy rule victory to complete the sweep.

“You’re gonna continue to see home runs from this team,” Bump said. “I think we’re at 39 right now with still a lot of games left still, and we keep that in our back pocket. Our girls are feeling really good offensively right now, and I think that’s making our pitchers and defense really good as well.”

Binghamton next takes the field against Le Moyne in a makeup doubleheader on the road. First pitch is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9 at 3 p.m., at the Softball Complex in Syracuse, New York.

“[We] didn’t really play well enough to win, so [we] kind of didn’t deserve to win,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “Just didn’t execute well enough in any of the three areas of the game — offense, defense or pitching.”

The Bonnies (10-16, Atlantic 10 2-7) took an early lead in the game, scoring one run in the first inning and another two in the second thanks to a home run. Binghamton (13-12, AE 4-2) answered with a score from an error in the third inning and an RBI groundout by junior infielder Mike Stellrecht in the fourth before the Bonnies put up two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning to make it a 5-2 ballgame. The Bearcats managed to score runs in the fifth and seventh innings, courtesy of a fielder’s choice and an RBI single from sophomore infielder Todd Abraham.

“We do have tremendous fight, and I do believe that our guys believe in themselves and each other,” Sinicki said. “We’re never out of a game, and we keep making it close. And if they score a run, we somehow battle back, and we put ourselves in a position to win games, even the games that we lose.”

St. Bonaventure responded with two runs in the seventh, including another unearned. Each team put up another run in the eighth inning as BU scored off an RBI triple by senior catcher Zach Rogacki, making the score 8-5 heading into the ninth. Binghamton managed to score two more runs and had a runner on third base when graduate student first baseman Freddy Forgione struck out, ending the game and falling just short of a comeback victory.

“People say hitting is contagious, and sometimes you hope that that’s the case,” Sinicki said. “And with [Rogacki and freshman outfielder Matt Bolton] doing well, you hope the guys in the lineup behind them feed off of that. Those two guys give us a lot of energy, and they’re on base a lot, so our guys do feed off of it. They’re just really our offensive catalysts right now and they’ve both done a really, really good job.”

The game saw Binghamton use six pitchers, including redshirt freshman outfielder Ian Kaiser, who had his first collegiate outing after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Kaiser pitched 1.1 hitless innings, allowing no runners on base during his time on the mound.

“Today was his first college outing, and he went out and he pitched a clean inning and a third,” Sinicki said of Kaiser. “So there were some bright spots, but we didn’t do enough consistently on the mound to keep them at bay. Every time we scored, I felt like we gave up a runner to let them build that lead back up that we had cut into.”

Binghamton will resume conference play with a three-game series against UMBC beginning on Friday, April 4. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Alumni Field in Baltimore, Maryland.

“Winning the series is important,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “It’s very difficult to beat a team three times in a weekend. So, if you can win series more times than not, you’re going to be in good shape at the end of the year, so that was a good way to start the conference season.”

Game one was Binghamton’s (11-10, 2-1 AE) only loss of the series, as Maine (5-17, 1-2 AE) took an early lead, scoring four runs in the first three innings. The Bearcats answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, thanks to RBIs by senior outfielder Logan Haskell and senior infielder Devan Bade, making the game 3-2. Maine added one more run in the top of the sixth, bringing the game to 5-2, which remained the final score. Despite the loss, freshman pitcher Brady Bouchard put up a strong outing in relief, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits to close the game.

“We moved him into the bullpen this weekend, trying to get things straightened out and get him on a good path,” Sinicki said of Bouchard. “He responded really well and didn’t sulk or didn’t feel sorry for himself, and he came out, pitched really well for us, which is great to see because he’s very talented.”

The second game was the highest scoring of the series, seeing the Bearcats and the Black Bears combine for 17 runs. Maine once again took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, but Binghamton responded with three runs of its own. Each team scored an additional run in the third, tying the game at four before Maine followed with two more runs over the next two innings.

Binghamton responded with four runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth, thanks in part to senior designated hitter Evin Sullivan, who hit a two-run home run. Sullivan has made his presence known this season, racking up 25 hits and 16 RBIs so far. However, the Black Bears scored two more runs in the top of the seventh, tying the game at eight. Senior catcher Zach Rogacki then hit a walk-off RBI for the Bearcats in the bottom of the seventh, lifting BU to a 9-8 victory.

“[Sullivan’s] hitting in the four spot for a reason,” Sinicki said. “He’s been a four-year starter, he’s played a lot of innings for us, he’s had a lot of bats, and he’s a young man, by this time in his career, we need to count on him. So if he continues to do the things he’s doing right now, we’ll be in good shape moving forward.”

The rubber match saw an 8-3 victory for Binghamton. This time, the Bearcats took the lead first, putting up five runs by the third inning. Maine put up two runs in the top of the fourth, but the Bearcats answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a solo home run by Bade and a triple by Rogacki, making the score 8-2.

The Black Bears put up one more run in the fifth inning before play was halted due to rain, leaving the final score at 8-3 after five innings. Binghamton managed 14 total hits, while Rogacki strung together another strong performance with four RBIs.

“I’m just hoping that this helps guys with their confidence,” Sinicki said. “We had a lot of bats this weekend, and hopefully the more bats we get, the guys’ timing is better, and they see more pitches, and we can continue to have good, consistent bats moving forward the rest of the season. But the next day’s pitcher always dictates the end of the game.”

The Bearcats are set to take on Cornell in a midweek matchup on Tuesday, March 25. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Booth Field in Ithaca, New York.

“You go on the road, and you’re on the road Thursday for nearly 11 hours, and you get off the bus and you play the way we did Friday and Saturday, and you feel pretty good about what the guys were able to do,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “We did good things, both on the mound and in the box and defensively.”

Game one on Friday afternoon was the highest-scoring one in the series, with both squads being blanked on the scoreboard through five periods. Graduate student starting pitcher Ryan Packard delivered five scoreless innings with just one hit in his second outing with the team, as he now holds a 1.00 ERA on the season. Binghamton (2-4) put up the first two runs of the game in the top of the sixth inning, thanks in part to an RBI double by senior catcher Zach Rogacki.

Elon (2-5) responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at 2. The top of the eighth saw junior infielder Zack Kent deliver two more RBIs for the team with a single through the right side. Elon, however, answered with two more runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. The ninth inning saw the Bearcats break away with four more runs, which included another RBI from Kent, giving him four on the day, as BU won 8-4.

“The guys really believe in [Packard],” Sinicki said. “He believes in himself, which is really important. [The team] enjoys playing behind him. As a transfer student, he’s made an immediate impact within the team … the guys have a lot of confidence when he takes the mound.”

Game two saw another dominant performance from a Binghamton starting pitcher, this time from freshman starting pitcher Brady Bouchard, who pitched six scoreless innings. The game saw Binghamton take the lead in the top of the fifth, with freshman outfielder Matt Bolton delivering the first run of the game with an RBI double. Senior infielder Devan Bade doubled to right field and drove in another run in the fifth, making it 2-0 Binghamton. The Bearcats proceeded to put up five more runs over the next four innings, shutting Elon out 7-0.

“I don’t want to say it’s a surprise, because it’s not,” Sinicki said. “[Bouchard] earned the opportunity to be our No. 2 starter through his bullpen and his preseason work … He had command of the entire game while he was in there. He was making good pitches. He only had two strikeouts but he didn’t walk anybody.”

Game three saw the Phoenix take an early 1-0 lead in the first, but the Bearcats answered with a run of their own in the top of the second, driven in by junior infielder Mike Stellrecht, who earned their only RBI of the day, making it a 1-1 game. Elon put on another run in the bottom of the second, but Binghamton once again answered in the third, with Sullivan scoring on a throwing error, tying the game at 2-2. Elon then put up six unanswered runs over the remainder of the game, winning with a final score of 8-2, despite having four errors during the game. While the result in the final game was not ideal, Sinicki’s confident that the team will bounce back as the season continues.

“It’s just a matter of execution,” said Sinicki. “These are things that will come in time, the more we play, the more we get to practice outside … We’ll continue to grow and learn from everything we’ve done in the past two weekends.”

The Bearcats will look to add another win to their record when they take on Siena College on Friday, Feb. 28. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at Thomas Stadium in Johnson City, Tennessee.

“I actually thought they were three pretty good college baseball games,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “For being outside for the first time this season, I think we played well.”

Game one opened on Friday night and saw Texas State (3-0) take an early lead in the first inning, putting up two runs off of a pair of RBIs. After the first inning, Binghamton’s (0-3) starter, redshirt sophomore pitcher Ryan Bates managed to pitch three scoreless innings to follow up. Freshman center fielder Matt Bolton put up Binghamton’s first and only run of game one with an inside-the-park home run, making the score 2-1 in the top of the third.

Graduate student relief pitcher Ryan Packard came in in the fifth inning and pitched two more scoreless innings before giving up two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, making it a 4-1 ballgame. The Bobcats’ closer shut the door against BU in game one in a three-up, three-down inning, striking out two batters in the process.

“[Bates and Packard] did a good job giving us a chance to win a ball game and that’s all you want your starting pitchers to do,” Sinicki said. “In that game offensively, their No. 1 starter did a really good job against us … Sometimes you gotta tip your hat to the guy who’s pitching against you.”

Game two saw the highest-scoring matchup of the weekend, with Texas just edging out the Bearcats in an 8-7 victory. Binghamton took an early 2-0 lead before Texas responded with five unanswered runs. Senior catcher Evin Sullivan had a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the fifth, giving Binghamton a 6-5 lead. The Bobcats responded with three more runs in the sixth, and despite another RBI by Sullivan in the top of the ninth, Binghamton fell 8-7.

“[Sullivan’s] gonna have to be one of those guys for us,” Sinicki said. “He’s a four-year starter. He’s played a lot of innings for this program. I’m hoping that this, his senior year, is going to be his best season yet … He did a good job this series, but specifically [Saturday] he did a really good job getting us on the board, and getting us into a situation where we had a chance to win the ball game.”

In game three, Texas took a 1-0 lead in the third and followed it up with six runs scored in the bottom of the fourth. The Bobcats had two outs and no one on base when an error by freshman outfielder Braylen Gonzalez allowed a Bobcat to get on base, which was followed by a string of hits. Binghamton racked up a few runs in the innings that followed, including a solo home run by senior outfielder Logan Haskell in the top of the ninth, but the Bearcats ultimately fell 7-4, as they were swept in their opening series.

“All six runs [in the fourth inning] were unearned,” Sinicki said. “We dropped the fly ball in the outfield, and that opened up the floodgates, and we just couldn’t stop it until they put six runs on the board … We’ve got to try and find a way, either with our pitching or our defense, to end the inning before it gets to a point where it did today.”

Binghamton will continue its road trip against Elon University. First pitch for game one is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 at Latham Park in Elon, North Carolina.