America East Baseball News & Notes: Six Weekends Left

With only a 24-game league schedule, time is becoming a critical factor for teams across the America East. Whether at the top of the standings like UMBC or the bottom like NJIT, games are becoming precious and few. Every win and loss carries immense weight; with only six of the seven teams qualifying for the postseason, a poorly timed losing streak could prove fatal. As the season reaches this critical stage, here is where things stand.

UAlbany (6-18, 4-5) was forced to move its series against UMass Lowell (11-17, 3-6) from its home park to LeLacheur Park due to unplayable field conditions. While the Great Danes swept the River Hawks in Lowell last season, they settled for two out of three this time around—a result that still gets the job done. For the River Hawks, the weekend followed a frustratingly familiar pattern: winning game one only to drop the next two.

In Thursday’s opener, the River Hawks used a three-man rotation to secure a 4-0 shutout. Brian Foley went the first 2.1 innings, followed by 3.2 innings from Jake Lefrancois (3-0), before Nolan Geisler closed the door for his first save. The trio combined on a six-hit shutout, supported by a three-run fifth inning highlighted by Sean O’Leary’s two-run double down the right-field line.

However, UAlbany found their answer on Friday and Saturday. America East Pitcher of the Week Dylan Banner dominated once again, tossing a complete game—his third career complete game against UML and his second consecutive year doing so in Lowell. He was aided by a River Hawks lineup that went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and a 1-for-10 performance from the bottom three hitters. The Great Danes chased last week’s Pitcher of the Week, Alfred Mucciarone, after just three innings—his shortest outing of the year—tagging him for six runs on seven hits. On Saturday, UAlbany clinched the series behind a three-run home run from Tre Mariano off Jacob Jette (1-5) in the fourth. Matthew Mariano (2-0) earned the win with 5.1 innings of one-run relief.

Binghamton (13-13, 6-3) moved back to .500 with a road sweep of NJIT (10-17, 2-7), dropping the Highlanders into last place. Every game in the series was tightly contested, but the Bearcats found the “extra gear” needed to win on the road. In game one, Matt Bolden provided the power with a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the fifth to lead a 6-3 victory for Connor Griffin (1-2). Saturday saw the Bearcats explode for 14 hits in an 8-6 win, led by Bryan Gonzalez (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and multi-hit games from Mike Stellrecht and Tim Herring. Vincent Luther earned the win out of the pen. On Sunday, Jackson Merrill made a strong first start, pitching five innings and allowing only one mistake: a three-run homer to Rowan O’Connor. O’Connor, the America East Rookie of the Week, finished a stellar individual week with a 1.611 OPS and six RBIs. Ultimately, a bases-loaded walk to Tommy Popoff provided the insurance Binghamton needed for a 5-4 win.

Maine (7-22, 5-4) took two of three at home against Bryant (17-13, 5-4). After dropping the opener 4-3, the Black Bears rebounded to win the next two by a combined score of 16-7. In Friday’s 11-5 win, Chris Bear turned in a five-hit performance while JuJu Stevens added three hits. On Saturday, America East Player of the Week Nic Pepe broke the game open with a sixth-inning grand slam, the deciding blow in a 5-2 victory. Pepe slashed .333/.538/1.000 with two homers and six RBIs on the week. Brennan Rumpf (1-1) earned the win, with Tommy Martin securing his first save.

Looking ahead to this weekend, UMass Lowell hosts NJIT in a pivotal series for both clubs. Elsewhere, UAlbany travels to Bryant, and UMBC visits Binghamton.