Baseball splits final two games at VMI

LEXINGTON, Va.—Binghamton baseball completed an improbable comeback to win the opener 11-6 and then dropped the final game of the four-game series, 6-4 at VMI Sunday afternoon. The Bearcats (4-4) plated 10 runs in their final at-bat to seize game 1 but then surrendered a 3-0 lead in game 2 at Gray-Minor Stadium. The teams split the four-game weekend set.

In the opener, BU trailed 6-1 heading into the last frame of the seven-inning game before scoring 10 runs on seven hits. Binghamton registered four straight hits to open the inning and sent 15 men to the plate in all. Sophomore left fielder Jake Thomas, who is off to a torrid start to 2013, collected two hits and three RBI in the inning. Junior center fielder Bill Bereszniewicz had two hits in the inning and junior third baseman Brian Ruby and freshman shortstop David Schanz drove in runs during the rally, which was aided by three VMI errors.

Sophomore reliever Mike Kaufman ended the game with three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the inning, making a winner out of sophomore Jed Lemen, who worked a scoreless eighth.
For the game, Thomas went 2-for-3 with three RBI, Ruby went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Bereszniewicz went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Junior starter Jack Rogalla allowed four earned runs on six hits over five innings.
In game two, BU led 3-0 after scoring single runs in each of the second, fifth and sixth innings. But VMI rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth and after BU moved ahead 4-3 in the top of the seventh, the host Keydets added three more deciding runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Senior first baseman Jordon Smucker and sophomore catcher Nick Pancerella each went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman DH jake Cryts went 2-for-4 and Thomas and sophomore right fielder Zach Blanden added an RBI apiece.

Junior Mike Meleski pitched five shutout innings but didn’t get a decision. Meleski struck out six and allowed just four hits.

In the four-game series, Thomas hit 7-of-13 (.538) and drove in seven runs. He has an on-base percentage of .600 through his first eight games of the spring.