VESTAL, N.Y. – Top-seeded Binghamton won their second straight conference championship, 7-3, over No. 3 Maine on a rainy Saturday evening.
The Bearcats never trailed in the contest and put up four runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good, while the pitching staff allowed just four hits over the final six innings to keep the Maine bats at bay.
Binghamton became the first team to repeat since they accomplished the feat back in 2013 and 2014. They’re also the first to win a conference baseball title at home since Stony Brook did it in 2012.
Matt Bolton was honored as the Most Outstanding Player of the #AEBASE Championship after going 3-for-4 in the title game with a pair of RBI. Bolton had one hit and scored at least one run in each of the team’s three victories in the championship.
Bolton headlined the All-Championship team, alongside teammates Tim Hennig, Conner Griffin and Steven Kraus. Pierce Friedman, Quinn Murphy and Hunter St. Denis were named from Maine. Also selected were Cooper Loyal (UAlbany), Aidan Vining (Bryant), Alfred Mucciarone (UMass Lowell), Nick Solorzano (UMass Lowell), Zach Robinson ( UMBC) and Dylan Melton (UMBC).
Binghamton will learn their tournament fate during the NCAA Tournament selection show which will take place on Monday at 12 pm on ESPN2
How It Happened
- The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Steven Kraus launched a solo home run, however, Maine tied it up in the top of the third with a Brody Rasmussen solo shot.
- Matt Bolton belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame for a 3-1 lead and Zach Anderson made it 4-1 with an RBI double later in the inning.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Binghamton made it 5-1 without recording a hit and Tim Hennig doubled home two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to stretch the lead to 7-1.
- Maine scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth with two outs, but Jake Dally induced a flyout to end contest and start the Binghamton celebration.
- Brady Lesiak earned the win with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief while allowing just a single hit with two strikeouts. Dally tossed the final 3.0 innings to earn the save, allowing just two hits.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -