America East Baseball News & Notes: The chase for seeding has begun

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With two weeks left in the America East Baseball regular season, it appears that the six teams that will be heading to Binghamton for the conference tournament that begins on May 24 are just about set. What is not finalized is who will play who. The next two weekends will take care of that, and give us an idea of who may have the best shot at a title. It will also tell us who might have the most difficult path to a championship. Last weekend, there were a couple of surprises to keep us in suspense. Let’s take a look at last week in AE baseball.

Bryant College (23-19, 10-8) played non-conference baseball last week. They went 2-1 for the week with a midweek win at home vs Merrimack then split a two-game set with Central Connecticut State. Each team won in their home ballpark. For the Bulldogs, the news is even better. Despite not playing conference baseball, Bryant qualified for the America East Baseball Tournament in their first year in the league. This weekend, the Bulldogs will host the Binghamton Bearcats (24-17, 10-8). Both teams are tied for third place in America East and a big series awaits both teams.

Binghamton is in the midst of a tough finishing stretch of the season. Their last nine league games are all on the road. It started last weekend at UAlbany (8-29-1, 2-16). The series did not get off to a good start for the Bearcats as redshirt freshman Matthew Mariano went seven innings of six-hit, one-earned run baseball to even his record at 2-2. Jason Bottari and Will Feil each had two hit games to help the Great Danes to a 6-1 victory. Games two and three went to Binghamton by scores of 7-5 on Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday. On Saturday Gabe Driscoll (6-0) went 6.1 innings allowing four hits and one earned run. He got offensive help from Tommy Relifler (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 RS, 1 HR) and Mike Gunning (2-for-4, 2 RS, 1 RBI, 1 HR). On Sunday, the Bearcats used a 12-hit attack to take the series with a 12-5 win. UAlbany’s playoff hopes are on life support and another loss will do them in since they trail the UMass Lowell River Hawks by four games in the loss column.

Those River Hawks (16-28, 9-12) were busy making life very difficult for the Great Danes by sweeping a series from NJIT (19-28, 8-10) last weekend in Lowell. On Friday night, the River Hawks defeated Ryan Fischer (3-5) for the first time ever. They did it with a four-run fourth inning. Matt Draper went six, giving up six hits, three runs, and two earned to improve to 3-6. LJ Keevan came out of the River Hawks bullpen to pick up save number two with a 1.1 IP, one hit, and no run ball. Saturday afternoon was all about pitching, America East Pitcher of the Week Joshua Becker (4-2) was in control from the first pitch. He went eight innings for the second straight week allowing six hits and an earned run. He struck out eight and walked two. OF Gerry Siracusa had a 2-for-3, three RBI, and two runs scored game to lead the way in a 5-1 Lowell win. With the win, Becker’s ERA is now under three at 2.96. He also leads the league in runs allowed at 15, and in walks allowed with 11. On Sunday, the River Hawks bats took care of the day with 17 runs, a season-high, on 17 hits. They got five XBH, including a HR from America East Player of the Week Fritz Genther, and Robert Gallagher. The River Hawks bullpen shut down the Highlanders’ bats. Michael Simes and Keevan went a combined 5.1 IP, 11 hits, and one unearned run pitching. Lowell plays non-league baseball this weekend while the Highlanders host Maine.

The Black Bears (24-17, 14-4) had a tough time at home vs UMBC (24-21, 13-8). The Retrievers took the first two games of the weekend at Mahoney Diamond in Maine. On Friday night, everyone but DH Luke Trythall had a hit. A five-run sixth was led by a Christen Easley two-run HR. Ben Craig came out of UMBC pen to get the win and Connor Kelly saved his sixth of the season as the Retrievers hung on and won game one 9-8. In game two on Saturday, UMBC won by a 9-8 score again scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to win the series. Easley, Trythall, and Dawson Baracarni had two hits each. Easley had three at the top of the order. Nick Remy got the win in relief with 2.2 IP of three-hit, three unearned work. Kelly picked up his second save in two days and his seventh of the year. On Sunday, AE Rookie of the Week Gianni Gambardella was in charge. He pitched seven innings of five-hit, zero runs, three strikeouts, and two walks baseball. He threw 103 pitches as the Black Bears avoided the series sweep at home with a 9-0 win. Myles Sargent with a three-hit day, Quinn McDaniels, and Jake Rainess with two hit games led the 13-hit attack. The University of Maryland-Baltimore Country hosts UAlbany this weekend.

Genther’s Player of the Week numbers went like this. He slashed .700/1.200/.643. He was 7-for-10 in the series with the Highlanders with five RBI, four runs scored, three XBH, two doubles, and his seventh home run of the season on Sunday. For both Becker and Genther, this is their first weekly honor. For Gambardella, this is the second time this year. Next week we look ahead to the final weekend of the America East Baseball season.