Baseball Done In By Long Ball; Falls to Binghamton, 12-2

(Box Score)

3/25/07 --Three home runs and an eight-run eighth inning by Binghamton led to a 12-2 loss for the Long Island University baseball team in matinee action at LIU Field. The loss dropped the Blackbirds to 3-9 on the season.

Long Island starter Rich Moran (Carmel, N.Y.) pitched well, scattering seven hits over six inning. Moran (0-3) found trouble early, but pitched out of a first-inning, bases-loaded jam without allowing a run. He retired the Bearcats in order for each of the next four innings before Brendon Hitchcock homered to right-center with one out in the sixth.

Moran got the next batter to fly out before hitting Pat Haughie with a pitch. Joe Charron followed with a single, moving Haughie to second. Leftfielder Ken Jacobi hit a double to score Haughie and give Binghamton a 2-0 lead.

Senior John Dooley (Deer Park, N.Y.) relieved Moran in the seventh and allowed a home run to deep left field, hit by second baseman Matt Simek. Dooley ran into more trouble in the eighth, giving up a two-run home run to Charron with one out.

After walking the next two batters, Dooley was lifted for freshman Jesse Johnson (Dingmans Ferry, Pa.). Johnson struggled, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks while only recording one out. Freshman Dan Iglesias (San Diego, Calif.) came in to close out the eighth, but gave up a hit and a walk in the process.

Long Island got on the board in the bottom of the eighth when Marcus Wynn (Plainfield, N.J.) hit an RBI single. After senior Trey Bell (Georgetown, Del.) walked, classmate Orlando Cruz (White Plains, N.Y.) stroked a double down the right field line to score Wynn. Binghamton added another run in the ninth.

The Blackbirds will hit the road on Tuesday, March 27, when they take on Manhattan.