LOWELL, Mass. - Top-seeded Maine and No. 2 seed Binghamton both received outstanding starting pitching performances to earn wins on Wednesday and advance to the winners bracket of the 2013 America East Baseball Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass.
No. 1 seed Maine started the day with a 7-0 victory over No. 4 Stony Brook, getting a complete game shutout from America East Pitcher of the Year Tommy Lawrence. Not to be outdone, No. 2 Binghamton also received a complete game shutout from its starter, Jake Lambert, as the Bearcats beat No. 3 Albany 9-0.
It is the first time in America East Baseball Championship history that two pitchers have thrown complete game shutouts on the same day, and only the second time that two teams have recorded shutouts on the same day of the tournament.
Thursday’s action will start with an elimination game between No. 3 Albany and No. 4 Stony Brook at 4 p.m. followed by No. 1 Maine against No. 2 Binghamton in the winners bracket.
No. 1 Maine 7, No. 4 Stony Brook 0
Starting pitcher Tommy Lawrence threw the first complete game shutout in America East Championship play since Binghamton’s Mike Augliera in 2010 as No. 1 seed Maine defeated No. 4 Stony Brook, 7-0, in the first game of the 2013 America East Baseball Championship.
Lawrence, who is the America East Pitcher of the Year, allowed just two hits over nine innings while striking out six and walking two. The victory was the tenth of the year for Lawrence which ties the school record. The senior stifled the Stony Brook offense, allowing just three baserunners to reach second and one to reach third in the contest.
Offensively, Maine scored seven runs on 14 hits, notching 13 singles and one home run. Six players registered two hits, with Eric White leading the team with four RBI including a three-run home run. Scott Heath added a pair of RBI and Alex Calbrick drove in one.
Maine jumped on Stony Brook starter and first-team all-conference performer Frankie Vanderka early, plating four runs on six hits in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead.
After Troy Black singled to center, shortstop Michael Fransoso laced a sharp single to center that sent Black to third as Fransoso took second on the throw. Calbick and White drove home the first two runs with singles through the left side, scoring Black and Fransoso. Vanderka got Brian Doran to ground out to second, advancing Calbick to third and White to second, setting the stage for a Heath single that knocked in two more runs and put the score at 4-0.
Lawrence was helped by a strong defensive effort, turning two double plays in the first four innings. The Black Bears did commit three errors in the contest but none of those turned into runs.
White added three more RBI with a three-run home run off Vanderka in the bottom of the fifth that hit off the scoreboard in left field, putting the Black Bears on top 7-0.
The Seawolves had their best scoring chance in the eighth inning, as Brett Tenuto singled and Jack Parenty reached on an error that put runners on second and third with two out. But Lawrence got Cole Peragine to bounce out to second to end the threat.
The Black Bears improved to 27-25 in championship play and will move into the winners bracket for the second time in the last four years.
No. 2 Binghamton 9, No. 3 Albany 0
Binghamton righthander Jake Lambert allowed just four runners to reach base on his way to a complete game shutout as the second-seeded Bearcats topped No. 3 Albany, 9-0, in the second game of the America East Championship.
Lambert was dominant, allowing just two hits, both infield singles, walked one and hit one while striking out six to lift Binghamton to the victory. The Bearcats backed-up Lambert offensively, scoring runs in five-straight innings and totaled nine runs on six hits.
A wet field caused problems defensively for Albany, as the Great Danes committed seven errors that led to seven unearned runs for the Bearcats.
The Bearcats scratched across the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Shaun McGraw hit a line drive double down the left field line and advanced to third on an error by the left fielder D.J. Hoagboon. Brian Ruby followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated McGraw and put the Bearcats on top 1-0.
Binghamton tacked on another run in the bottom of the third, as Bill Bereszniewicz walked and then scored on a double by Zach Blanden that was mishandled in the outfield to put the score at 2-0.
A three-run fourth inning opened things up for Binghamton and gave Lambert to a 5-0 lead on the mound. McGraw scored the first run, coming across after John Howell hit a hard ground ball that went through the legs of third baseman Joey Tracy. Two more runs scored as Graham hit both Blanden and David Schanz with the bases loaded.
Ruby drove in a run in the fifth with a single to center that brought Daniel Nevares around to score, and Nick Pancerella followed with a sac fly to score McGraw and put the score at 7-0. Binghamton added one more run in the inning on a throwing error.
Nevares brought home the ninth run of the game for Binghamton, lacing a double to left that scored Jake Thomas all the way from first in the sixth inning.
No one reached further than first base against Lambert in the game as Binghamton advances to the winners bracket for the second-straight season.