For Immediate Release: April 10, 2005
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Vermont completes three-game sweep of BU baseball with 4-2 victory
Visiting Catamounts hold on for win as BU grand slam is called foul

Box Score

VESTAL, N.Y. - For the second time in as many days, Binghamton baseball was stifled by a Vermont southpaw and the visiting Catamounts were aided by a controversial late-inning call in a 4-2 win Sunday afternoon from Varsity Field. With the win, Vermont swept the three-game series - the opening games in the America East slate. Binghamton has now dropped seven of its last eight games.

Junior lefty Chris Blazek scattered five hits over 7.1 innings, striking out 11 batters to record his first win of the season. The Catamounts outhit Binghamton 15-6, and scored two runs in the first inning and single runs in the third and fifth frames.

The Bearcats chipped away at the margin with runs in the fourth and eighth innings and began celebrating what looked like a game-deciding grand slam off the bat of junior third baseman Matthieu Bergeron (St. Celestin, Quebec) with one out in the eighth. Batting with the bases loaded and a 3-1 count, Bergeron, the leading home run hitter in the America East, jumped on a pitch and drove it an estimated 450 feet over the right field fence as BU's dugout erupted in celebration. The ball was still rising as it left the field, but the home plate umpire ruled it foul and Bergeron wound up hitting into a fielder's choice on the next pitch. An outfield pop-up left two runners stranded to end the inning and the rally.

Vermont junior Chris Marsh worked the final 1 1/3 to record his second save of the series and fifth of the season.

Sophomore first baseman Brendon Hitchcock (Laceyville, Pa.) and senior left fielder Keith Ford (Broken Arrow, Okla.) had two hits apiece, with Hitchcock driving in a run.

Binghamton hosts St. Bonaventure in a non-conference twinbill on Tuesday.