The VMI Keydets had a 6-4 lead headed to the ninth inning, but the Binghamton Bearcats rallied to tie the game and went on to a 9-7, 12-inning victory in non-conference baseball action Saturday at Gray-Minor Stadium.
After VMI (4-7) had gone in front with a dramatic four-run, eighth inning rally that featured a two-out, two-run go-ahead double by Thomas Stallings, Binghamton (3-3) got to John Garrett for two runs in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. The teams exchanged runs in the 10th, and the Bearcats took advantage of a leadoff error in the 12th allowing shortstop John Howell to reach.
After the VMI miscue, the next batter, Zach Blanden, walked against Rian Ellis (0-2) and Bill Bereszniewicz bunted up the third base line. Winn pounced on the ball and threw to shortstop Nick Dwyer covering third, but the ball sailed into left field for an error, allowing Howell to score. Jake Thomas added a RBI single later in the inning to account for the final margin.
Neither starter figured in the decision, after VMI’s Connor Bach (five-plus innings, one unearned run) and BU’s Jay Lynch (six innings, three hits, no runs, no walks) locked up in a pitcher’s duel early on. Ellis took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the year, surrendering two runs (one earned) in one inning of work. Jake Cryts (1-0) pitched two one-hit innings to win the game for the visitors.
After Bach and Lynch neutralized the offenses early on the cold, breezy day that would see wind chills fall into the 20’s by game’s end, the game’s first threat came in the Binghamton fifth. Jordon Smucker led off with a single, and Bijan Mangori laid down a bunt toward the mound. Bach fielded the ball and threw to second, but his throw pulled Dwyer off the base for an error and both runners were safe. Scott Musin then laid down a bunt of his own, but Cody Holder fielded the ball and threw a strike to third for the force, and the first out of the inning. Howell struck out for the second out, but Blanden walked to load the bases. Bach, however, induced Bereszniewicz to fly out to left field to end the inning.
The visitors got on the board in the sixth. The first two hitters walked against Bach, which brought Andrew Woods on out of the bullpen. A wild pitch moved both runners up, and Daniel Nevares walked to load the bases. Woods then induced a ground ball back to the mound, but his throw home sailed over the head of catcher Red Dowdell, allowing a run to score and BU to take a 1-0 lead. Woods recovered well, however, getting a ground ball force play, a pop out and a fly out to end the inning without further damage.
The Keydets put together their first threat in the sixth, when Jordan Tarsovich singled with two out. Brandon Angus then bunted for a hit, a ball that was thrown wildly to first base by BU’s Brian Ruby. That put runners at the corners, and Rob Dickinson was hit by a pitch. Dwyer, however, lined to second to end the inning, and BU added on in the seventh. A RBI double by Ruby and a two-run single by Smucker pushed the lead to 4-0.
VMI managed just three hits against Lynch through the first six innings, but the Bearcats brought Anthony Grillini on in relief for the seventh, and the Keydets promptly got to him. Back to back singles by Holder and Dowdell opened the frame, and both runners advanced on a passed ball. One out later, Stallings hit a two-hopper to Ruby at third base. The Binghamton third baseman threw wildly to first, allowing a run to score, and Drew Bryan drove in a second run with a RBI groundout, cutting the BU lead to 4-2.
The rally continued in the eighth. Angus walked to lead off the inning, and Dickinson followed with a single. After a Dickinson stolen base, Dwyer lined a RBI single to right, scoring Angus, and BU went to the bullpen once again. Holder grounded into a force play against right-hander Greg Ostner, tying the game, 4-4. Dowdell then singled to right, putting runners at first and second, and the Keydets went to their bench. Gary LeClair pinch-ran at second base and Michael Donovan did so at first. One out later, Stallings legged out a double to right-center, scoring both runners and giving the Keydets a 6-4 lead.
That brought Garrett on in relief, looking for the save, but the first two hitters reached in the BU ninth. Ruby, the next hitter, bunted the ball just to Garrett’s right, about five feet to the third base side of the mound. Stallings broke to cover third, and the ball narrowly eluded Garrett’s glove for a single and a bases-loaded situation. The miscommunication hurt VMI right away, as Nevares lined a two-run single to left to tie to the game, 6-6.
The Keydets got the winning run to second base in the ninth, but Dickinson fouled out and Dwyer struck out. BU then grabbed the lead in the 10th, after Howell led off with a single and Blanden bunted him to second. A single by Bereszniewicz moved Howell to third, and Thomas lofted a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 7-6 game.
The home team came right back, however, as Winn led off the 10th for his first at-bat of the day. He made it count, launching a game-tying home run to center field for his first long ball of the year, knotting the score at 7. The Keydets had two on with one out, and again, a chance to win the game, but Bryan flied out and Tarsovich lined to center to send the game to the 11th. Neither team scored in that frame, setting the stage for Binghamton’s go-ahead 12th.
Offensively, the Keydets saw each of their top three hitters in the lineup – Tarsovich, Angus and Dickinson – collect two hits apiece, as did Dowdell. Smucker went 3 for 6, while Thomas was 1 for 2 with four walks and three runs scored to lead the visitors. The teams combined to leave a startling 27 runners on base in Saturday’s contest.
“I was proud of our offense’s comeback today, and the way we went up two in the eighth on Thomas Stallings’ clutch double,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “You couldn’t ask for a better situation going to the ninth, but it was the first time all year we had asked John Garrett to pitch on back to back days, and unfortunately, Binghamton got to him on a day he didn’t have his best stuff. I thought Connor Bach threw well for five innings, but our bullpen has to do a better job. When you walk 11 guys, you will give up runs. We had chances to win this game, both at the plate and making a play in the 12th on the bunt, and we didn’t. We have to execute better, both on the mound and off.”
VMI baseball will return to action Saturday, as the Keydets wrap up the series against Binghamton with a doubleheader at Gray-Minor Stadium. Game 1, scheduled for seven innings, begins at noon.
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