For Immediate Release: April 7, 2004
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Bearcats knock off Fairleigh Dickinson 6-5 for third straight win

Box Score

TEANECK, N.J. - Binghamton (9-8) rallied from a deficit for the third straight game, scoring four runs in the final four innings to defeat host Fairleigh Dickinson, 6-5, Wednesday afternoon. The Bearcats have now won three straight and five of their last six games.

Trailing 3-2 in the sixth inning, BU plated two runs to take the lead for good. Junior first baseman Jamie Boyer (Lancaster, Pa.) stroked an RBI single to center field, and freshman second baseman Matt Simek (Vestal, N.Y.) followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to right. One inning later, the Bearcats added two more runs on RBIs from senior left fielder Joe Costello (Ventnor, N.J.) and senior third baseman Jay Balback (Millsboro, Del.). Costello doubled down the right field line, and Balback drove him in with a single to right.

FDU closed the gap with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but junior pitcher Chris Darling (Whitesboro, N.Y.) closed the door with 1.1 innings of no-hit relief. Darling relieved game-winner Chris Shores (Towanda, Pa.), and struck out three of the five batters he faced to earn the save. Shores had allowed just two hits with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

Offensively, Costello went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Senior right fielder T.J. Kowalchuk (Stormville, N.Y.) was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, and freshman left fielder Brendon Hitchcock (Laceyville, Pa.) enjoyed a 3-for-5 performance. Kowalchuk's RBI boosted his team-best total to 18 (in 17 games).

Binghamton opens its 21-game America East schedule with a three-game series at Hartford this weekend. The teams will play a doubleheader (nine inning game followed by a seven-inning game) Friday beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday's nine-inning game starts at noon.

NOTES
From the fifth inning on this season, BU is outscoring opponents by 33 runs, including a 32-16 margin from the seventh inning on.