VESTAL, New York — Binghamton University manufactured two fifth-inning rallies on Friday to register a sweep of its America East baseball doubleheader against the University of Maine at Varsity Field.
The Bearcats took the first game 7-3 and took the nightcap 4-2.
The teams play their mutual regular-season finale at noon on Saturday.
In the opener, Reid Gamache whacked a two-run home run to spark a four-run fifth that carried the Bearcats (27-22, 19-4 AE) to victory.
Daniel Franchi (RBI) and Paul Rufo each doubled and singled among eight hits for the hosts. Starter Jake Kryts (7-4) scattered six hits and two earned runs through five innings to pick up the win. He struck out four, walked one and hit two batters.
Rob Hardy pitched three innings of three-hit, one-run relief and Dylan Stock pitched a scoreless ninth.
Danny Casals (double), Jeremy Pena and Brenden Geary posted two hits apiece for the Black Bears (18-33, 7-15 AE), who received a solo homer from Caleb Kerbs.
Starter John Arel (2-9) suffered the loss for UMaine after giving up four hits and four runs in five innings. He fanned three and walked two before giving way to Logan Fullmer, who surrendered two runs on three hits with two walks in only one inning.
The Black Bears got on the board in the first when Tyler Schwanz was hit by a pitch, raced to third on Geary’s single and then the two executed a delayed double steal after two were out.
UMaine made it 2-0 in the fifth when Kerbs pulled a home run to left, the first of his collegiate career.
However, Binghamton responded in the bottom of the inning. Rufo singled, Franchi hit a one-out double and C.J. Krowiak walked. The first run scored when David Schanz grounded to third base, but the Black Bears could not turn the double play. The low throw to first base allowed a second run to score.
Gamache followed with a two-run blast to left-center that made it 4-2.
The Bearcats added two in the sixth on RBI singles by Chris McGee and Krowiak, then tacked on a run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Franchi.
In Game 2, Binghamton rallied for three runs against freshman reliever Nick Silva to put the hosts on top for good. Schanz’s two-run single was the key blow in the uprising.
Starter Mike Bunal (8-3) shut out UMaine on two hits, striking out three and walking one, over the first four innings. Jake Wloczewski closed it out with two scoreless innings of relief.
Gamache singled twice and Brendan Skidmore doubled and drove in two runs for the Bearcats, who had only five hits.
Brett Chappell slammed a two-run home run that gave UMaine a short-lived 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Binghamton jumped on Silva in the fifth after Darian Herncane drew a leadoff walk. Krowiak singled to right and advanced on the throw to third, then Schanz stroked a two-run single through the middle.
Gamache followed with another single and Schanz scored on Skidmore’s groundout.
UMaine threatened in the seventh when Chappell reached on a one-out fielding error and Kerbs singled to left. They advanced when Lou Della Ferra was out on a bunt attempt, but Wloczewski retired Pena on a lineout to right field.
Eddie Emerson of Lewiston and Jonah Normandeau of Cumberland combined to hold Binghamton to two hits and one run over the first three innings, walking four and fanning four.