Farmingdale, N.Y. ? Sean Donovan's game-winning single capped a five-run rally in the ninth inning to lead UAlbany to an 8-7 victory over Binghamton in the second round of the America East Conference Baseball Championship on Friday, May 25 at Farmingdale Park.
The Great Danes advanced to the championship round on Saturday at 3:35 p.m. in this double-elimination tournament. The America East champion receives an automatic NCAA berth. The Bearcats will meet Maine, who upended second-seeded Stony Brook earlier in the day, in the loser's bracket at 12:05 p.m.
Binghamton (27-18) had put together a solid performance for the second straight game prior to the ninth inning. The Bearcats, who captured the conference's regular-season crown to earn the No. 1 seed, built a 7-2 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Matt Simek, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and three RBI, helped get his club off to a good start. In the second, Kyle Klee was hit by a pitch and then worked his way to third base via a fielders' choice and a sacrifice bunt. Klee then came across on Pat Haughie's ground out to the shortstop. Binghamton scored three times in the third off UAlbany starter Casey Walsh. Justin Smucker and Ryan James started the uprising with back-to-back doubles. Smith delivered a run-scoring single through the left side, before Klee lined a RBI double down the left-field line.
The Great Danes, who defeated Stony Brook, 5-2, in the first round, would later slice the deficit in half. Second baseman Al Barbato belted a solo homer, his third of the year, over the right-field fence in the third. First baseman Steve Sayre scored Tom Hill, who had walked to lead off the fourth, with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Binghamton put together three consecutive singles in the fifth inning off reliever Josh Willimott. Simek, a first-team all-conference infielder, had the run-scoring hit in that sequence, and then smacked a solo homer in the seventh for a 6-2 advantage. Haughie scored in the seventh when he reached on a fielding error before coming across on a wild pitch.
UAlbany (28-27) started its two-out rally when Mike Konstanty ripped his third home run of the spring to left. The Great Danes then loaded the bases off closer Khalid Afify, who had five wins and six saves prior to being called in from the bullpen. Steve Wyland tied the contest by drilling a 3-1 fastball into the left-field gap for a bases-clearing double. After Hill was intentionally walked, Donovan delievered a soft-liner to center field that scored Wyland with the winning run.
“It's the most remarkable game that I have been a part of,” said UAlbany coach Jon Mueller, whose team is in the America East championship final for the first time in the program's history. “We have been playing with our backs against the wall for six weeks. I guess we just have thick skin after worrying about getting into the tournament for so long. I probably used up a few four-leaf clovers with the baseball gods after this one.”
Barbato, who scored three runs, and Donovan each finished with three hits for the Great Danes, who have won eight of their last 10 outings. Binghamton's James had two hits and scored twice.
-agate-
America East Conference ? Second Round
Binghamton (27-18) 013 010 110 - 7 8 0
UAlbany (28-27) 001 100 015 - 8 12 2
(two outs when winning run scored)
Mike Van Gorder, Murphy Smith (6), Khalid Afify (9) and Pat Haughie.
Casey Walsh, Josh Willimott (3), Jeff Kaier (6), Sean Gregory (8), Matthew Herrick (9) and Chris Wood.
The Automated ScoreBook
Binghamton at UAlbany
May 25, 2007 at Farmingdale, N.Y. (Farmingdale Field)
Binghamton 7 (27-18)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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Smucker ss............... 5 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0
James rf................. 3 2 2 1 0 0 3 0 0
Hitchcock 1b............. 5 0 1 0 0 0 9 0 1
Simek 2b................. 5 2 3 3 0 0 2 2 1
Klee 3b.................. 4 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 0
Jacobi dh................ 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Charron lf............... 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1
Haughie c................ 4 1 0 1 0 1 3 2 3
Dunn cf.................. 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 1
Van Gorder p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Smith p................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Afify p................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 36 7 8 6 1 6 26 6 7
UAlbany 8 (28-27)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Barbato, Al 2b........... 5 3 3 1 0 0 4 1 0
Corvino, Leo rf.......... 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
Wyland, Steve 3b......... 5 1 2 3 0 0 1 4 1
Hill, Tom dh............. 3 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 0
Donovan, Sean ss......... 5 0 3 1 0 0 1 4 1
Sayre, Steve 1b.......... 2 0 0 1 1 1 12 0 1
West, Dave cf............ 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1
Konstanty, Mike lf....... 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
Wood, Chris c............ 4 1 0 0 0 1 6 1 0
Walsh, Casey p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Willimott, Josh p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kaier, Jeff p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gregory, Sean p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Herrick, Matthew p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 37 8 12 8 3 4 27 11 7
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Binghamton.......... 013 010 110 - 7 8 1
UAlbany............. 001 100 015 - 8 12 2
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Note: 2 outs, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.
E - Klee; Barbato, A.; Willimott, J. DP - BING 1. LOB - BING 7; ALBANY 7. 2B
- Smucker; James; Klee; Barbato, A.; Wyland, S.; Hill, T.; Donovan, S.. HR -
Simek; Barbato, A.; Konstanty, M. HBP - James 2; Klee. SH - Charron. SF -
Sayre, S.. CS - Dunn; Donovan, S..
Binghamton IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Van Gorder.......... 5.0 3 2 2 2 1 17 20
Smith............... 3.0 4 1 1 0 2 12 12
Afify............... 0.2 5 5 1 1 1 8 9
UAlbany IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Walsh, Casey........ 2.1 4 4 4 0 0 11 14
Willimott, Josh..... 2.2 3 1 1 1 2 12 13
Kaier, Jeff......... 2.0 1 1 1 0 3 6 7
Gregory, Sean....... 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 4 4
Herrick, Matthew.... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3
Win - Herrick, M. (3-0). Loss - Afify (5-2). Save - None.
WP - Gregory, S.. HB - Walsh, C. 2; Kaier, J.. BK - Willimott, J. PB - Haughie.
Umpires -
Start: 7:05 PM Time: 3:10 Attendance: 403
Game: GAME55
Game notes:
ID-550020
