America East Baseball News & Notes: Conference Play Begins

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As we reach the middle of March, the focus of college baseball begins to shift. It becomes more about league play than the non-league version. In America East, league play begins this weekend. While it is only a series, it is a sign of things to come as the season moves forward. Last weekend, the conference did make a bit of a splash as the Binghamton Bearcats split a series with the Missouri Tigers of the SEC. Also, UAlbany took a series from Hofstra University. Good signs and results for the conference as league play begins. Here is a look at how last week went.

Splitting a four-game series with a team from a Power-4 Conference is a big deal. For the Binginham Bearcats (7-8), the split with the Missouri Tigers was the big news of the week. The Bearcats were able to win the Friday and Sunday games while losing both ends of a Saturday DH. Friday’s game would take 13 innings to complete with Binghamton winning 8-7. Devan Bade, with his only hit of the game, came through in the top of the 13th with an RBI single up the middle that scored Logan Haskell with the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th.

The Bearcats bullpen was also a story in this one as three pitchers went 8.1 IP allowing eight hits and two earned runs. Ben Griffin (2-0) was the third of those bullpen arms and went the final three innings giving up two hits and no runs with two walks and two strikeouts. After losing both games on Saturday, the Bearcats took the final game of the series on Sunday with Binghamton scoring all five of their runs in the first two innings on their way to a 5-2 victory. A 4-run second did the trick. CF Matt Bolden (2-for-4, RS, 2 RBI) with a 2-run double to right center field was the big blow. The Bearcats would also score two unearned runs as well. The pitching was good again as starting and winning pitcher Colin Rheim (1-3) went 5.1 IP, of 4H, 2ER baseball walking three and striking out four. The bullpen took care of the rest of the game throwing shutout baseball with Jake Daily getting his first save of the year. On Tuesday, the Bearcats took a game from A-10 member St. Bonaventure, 8-7 in walk-off style on a wild pitch that scored the winning run.

UAlbany (5-6) went on the road and took two of three from Hofstra University last weekend winning Friday and Saturday games. On Friday, a 3-run seventh was the key inning. 1st baseman Ryan Ferrera hit a 2-run single to CF for the big hit. Dylan Banner (1-0) got the start and was very good throwing eight innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs, six strikeouts, and one walk. Thomas Quinn pitched the ninth to get his first save of the year. On Saturday, both teams swung the bats really well. The Great Danes were just a little better as they won 10-8 and banged out 12 hits. Four players had 2-hit games. The Great Danes’ pen was a little better as Tyler Kneller (1-0) got the win in relief with four innings of three-hit, two-earned-run pitching. Alex Enea notched his second save of the year with two innings of one-hit zero-run relief. UAlbany lost their midweek game on Wednesday by a 14-4 count to Army.

The Maine Black Bears (3-11) took a series from Bucknell University last weekend taking the Friday and Saturday games with some good pitching. On Friday, Colin Fitzgerald (2-2) evened his record by going 7.2 innings of six-hit, two-earned run baseball. He walked only one and struck out seven. Closer, Sebastian Holt went the final 1.1 innings to get his first save of the season. Saturday’s game featured a terrific start from this week’s America East Pitcher of the Week, Caleb Leys went six no-hit innings with nine strikeouts. The bad news is he got a no-decision for his efforts as the Black Bears scored four runs in the top of the ninth to get the win. A 3-run error by Bucknell CF Billy Fluharty was the key to that inning for Maine. Gianni Gambardella (1-0) got the win and Holt got his second save of the weekend. In midweek play, the Black Bears lost a tough 3-2 decision to Iona University on Wednesday.

The lone conference series of the upcoming weekend takes place at UMBC as they will host the UMass Lowell River Hawks. The River Hawks (4-10) are finishing up a 17-game road trip to begin their season. For the River Hawks, pitching has been the issue. They rank next to last in the league with a 9.50 ERA. Extra base hit allowed has been a major problem for the staff. In 14 games they have given up 32 doubles, 15 HRs, and two triples. They have thrown 10 wild pitches and hit 24 batters. On the good side, they lead the league in batting with a .293 team average. They are slugging .457, with 13 home runs and 36 doubles. They are fielding it at a .972 clip with 13 errors in 14 games. They have allowed the most stolen bases so far at 33 while turning 12 double plays.

UMBC (2-8) has also started slowly as they are dead last in hitting with a team average of .209. They are last in HR with eight and in doubles with 10. They have only 64 total hits to date, have a slugging percentage of .325, and an OBP of .335. They are also the worst fielding team in the league with a .920% fielding percentage (30 errors in ten games). They have turned eight double plays and have given up 87 runs with only 63 earned. The pitching staff has an ERA of 6.78 and they have allowed 25 doubles and 12 HR.

Gavin Noriega of Bryant is this week’s America East Player of the Week. He hit .500 while slugging 1.143, had 10 RBI, and five RS in a 3-2 week for the team. He had a 2-for-4 game vs Merrimack with six RBI. Then, vs Dayton, he had two hits, scored three runs, and a HR. This is Gavin’s third career weekly award.

The America East Rookie of the Week is Binghamton’s Matt Bolton. He hit .500 with at least two hits in all four games vs Missouri. In the Friday win over the Tigers, he was 3-for-7 with a RS and a great catch in CF in the tenth inning to keep the game alive. This is his first career weekly award.

Next week we will recap more from America East baseball.