For Immediate Release: March 28, 2006
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

BU baseball splits doubleheader with Niagara, winning 9-0 and losing 3-2
Bearcats stretch win streak to six in opener before falling in nightcap

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

VESTAL, N.Y. - In its home opener, Binghamton (8-6-1) split a doubleheader with visiting Niagara (11-11) Tuesday afternoon at Varsity Field, winning 9-0 before falling 3-2 in the nightcap. The game two defeat snapped a six-game win streak for BU, which ties for the program's longest at Division I.

In the opener, senior Jarrod Rampey (Rochester, N.Y.) tossed a seven-inning, three-hit shutout and BU stretched a 2-0 lead with seven runs in the fifth inning. Rampey (1-2) struck out the first five batters of the game and wound up with six strikeouts and just one walk. He allowed three singles - two of which never left the infield.

Offensively, the Bearcats were granted nine walks by Niagara pitchers, including five in the fifth inning. In that frame, freshman left fielder Ken Jacobi (Milford, Conn.) hit a two-run single and junior first baseman Brendon Hitchcock (Laceyville, Pa.) added an RBI double.

Junior second baseman Matt Simek (Vestal, N.Y.) ripped a solo home run to lead off the third inning and wound up 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Junior right fielder Jeff Monaco (Binghamton, N.Y.) went 2-for-3, including a two-out RBI single in the first inning to open the scoring.

In game two, senior pitcher Seth Rademacker (Marilla, N.Y.) allowed just one earned run in five innings but Niagara scratched out the winning run off BU's bullpen in the sixth inning courtesy of leadoff double, a a wild pitch and a slow-rolling two-out infield single.

Binghamton was held to five hits and stranded seven runners. The Bearcats had a baserunner thrown out at home in the fifth inning and then put the tying run on second base on the bottom of the seventh inning before Simek lined out to right field to end the game.

Monaco extended his hitting streak to eight games with a second-inning triple. During the streak, he is hitting .440.

Binghamton begins a three-game weekend series at Central Connecticut State with a doubleheader at noon on Saturday.