Vestal, N.Y.-- Both of the lower seeds advanced to the winners' bracket of the 2010 America East Baseball Championship by virtue of their wins on the first day of the double elimination tournament at Binghamton University's Varsity Field. Strong starting pitching was the key to both Stony Brook and Albany's wins on Wednesday afternoon.
The three seed, Stony Brook (27-25) will tangle with fourth-seeded Albany (12-38) on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the winners' bracket game, while top-seeded Binghamton (30-19) and second-seeded Maine (34-21) will face each other in an elimination game at 11 a.m.
America East Co-Pitcher of the Year Nick Tropeano threw a magnificent game for the Seawolves in game one, and got some solid run support from his offense on Stony Brook's way to a 10-1 win over the second-seeded Maine Black Bears. Tropeano hurled eight complete innings, allowing just one run and scattering four hits.
Junior second-team shortstop Chad Marshall went 3-for-6 for the game with two runs batted in, a run and a double. Fellow second-teamers Justin Echevarria and Pat Cantwell also batted in multiple runs to pace the Seawolves' potent attack. The Stony Brook lineup chased Maine starter Jeff Gibbs out of the game after 5+ innings of work. Gibbs was tagged for four earned runs while walking five and striking out three.
The first five innings of the day were scoreless before Stony Brook put a five-spot up on the board in the top of the sixth. Stony Brook had put lots of runners on, loading the bases twice earlier in the game before finally breaking through with the bases yet again loaded and Echevarria, the number nine batter, drawing a walk. Cantwell and Marshall each followed up with RBI singles, and Steve Marino's double play ball scored Cantwell from third. The Seawolves tacked on three more in the seventh and one in each the eighth and the ninth.
The only run Maine could push across the plate came in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Howard doubled to right field to score pinch runner Kyle Stilphen.
Stony Brook sophomore right-hander Anthony Luciano pitched the ninth inning to close out Tropeano's eighth win on the season.
In the afternoon game, the Great Danes got an eight-inning effort out of first-team starter Dave Kubiak and ended the Bearcats' 14-game win streak with a 9-6 victory. It was the first win for a four seed over a top seed since 2004.
Kubiak struck out 10, while allowing seven hits, six runs, five earned, and walked four batters. The sophomore righty improved to 3-5 on the season.
The game was close throughout, however Albany grabbed its first lead of the game with three runs in the top of the ninth inning to break a 6-6 tie. Kyle Crean led off with a double and then came around to score on a single by Pete DiResta. After a Nolan Gaige single, and an Adam Cutspec walk to load the bases, all-rookie second-baseman Brian Bullard doubled to deep right field, scoring both DiResta and Gaige to make it a 9-6 game. Sophomore Greg Lutton picked up his third save of the season with a one-hit bottom of the ninth inning.
The Great Danes knocked out hits all afternoon long, 18 in all, including nine off Binghamton starter James Giulietti. Giulietti, the America East Co-Pitcher of the Year, went five innings on just four days' rest, allowing three runs and striking out three. Freshman Joe Swindells, junior Zach Juliano and sophomore Alex Adami all appeared in relief capacities of one inning or more.
Crean and Gaige each recorded three Albany hits and a pair of runs, while Gaige, Bullard and senior Brendan Rowland each drove in two runs. Rowland and Crean each hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh, which tied the game at 5-5.
Binghamton's Joe Charron recorded a team-high two RBI on a single in the fifth inning as part of a three-run frame for the host Bearcats which put them up 5-2. America East Player of the Year Corey Taylor went 3-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and a walk.
2010 America East Baseball Championship
All games on the campus of Binghamton University
Double Elimination
Wednesday, May 26
Game 1: #3 Stony Brook 10, #2 Maine
Game 2: #4 Albany 9, #1 Binghamton 6
Thursday, May 27
Game 3: Maine (home) vs. Binghamton
Game 4: Albany (home) vs. Stony Brook
Friday, May 28
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
Saturday, May 29
Game 7 (if necessary): Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6