Box Score
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – Sophmore Chris Cruz hit a monster two-run home run in the sixth inning and made an incredible diving catch in the seventh, but the baseball team couldn't hold on to the lead and Binghamton scratched out a 6-4 victory on Wednesday at Hoy Field. The loss ended the Big Red's four-game winning streak.
 
Using the opportunity of a midweek, non-league game, both teams emptied their bullpens to use a combined 15 pitchers. Freshman Nick Busto pitched a solid three scoreless innings in the start for Cornell (21-7-1) – not allowing a runner past first base – then the Big Red took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Junior Brenton Peters drew a leadoff walk, then advanced on a Marshall Yanzick single to right-center and alertly took third when the outfielder bobbled the ball. Frank Hager's RBI fielder's choice scored Peters.
 
Binghamton (10-4) tied the score in the top of the fifth. A leadoff walk was followed by an intended sacrifice bunt that squeaked through the left side of the charging infield to give the Bearcats runners on first and second with no out. That next bunt panned out to be a more traditional sacrifice, pushing both runners into scoring position. The next batter hit the ball up the middle and off the lower leg of pitcher TJ Parthemer, caroming off the lefty and past the shortstop to allow the runners to each move up a base. But Parthemer settled down and struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
 
The Bearcats then loaded the bases in the sixth. A double was followed by the inning's second out, but a pair of hit-by-pitches rejuvenated the threat. Freshman RHP Roberto Suppa then got out of the jam by inducing a fielder's choice grounder to short.
 
Cruz then gave the Big Red a 3-1 lead in dramatic fashion. After Yanzick reached on an error, Cruz crushed his ninth home run of the season down the right-field line. The blast ballooned in the wind, which was blowing hard toward left, but still had plenty of distance to clear the fence. Cruz has now tripled his home run production from last season and is tied for third in program history for home runs in a season (the record is 11).
 
Binghamton tied the scored in the seventh on a two-run homer by Jake Thomas, but the inning didn't stop there. With runners on first and second and two out, Brian Ruby hit a single to right. Dave Ciocchi tested the arm of Cruz, the right fielder, by rounding third. The throw was on the money and catcher Brandon Lee's sweep tag was ruled to be a split-second too late, giving the Bearcats a 4-3 advantage.
 
Cornell tied the game one more time in the bottom half of the inning. Tom D'Alessandro led off with a single, then stole second with one out. After another Peters walk, Yanzick fought off an 0-2 pitch on his hands to bloop a single to center, loading the bases. Frank Hager then hit a sacrifice fly to center that allowed D'Alessandro to score.
 
But Binghamton's two unearned runs in the eighth proved to be the difference. The Big Red's two errors in the game both came in the eighth, with the first allowing the leadoff hitter to reach. A sacrifice bunt pushed the runner to second, then John Howell drove in the go-ahead run with a single up the middle. Howell moved to second on Thomas' single, then an attempted double play turned into another error and allowed Howell to scamper home for an insurance run.
 
Cornell returns to Ivy League competition by kicking off Lou Gehrig Division play this weekend with four home games against Columbia on Saturday and Sunday. The Big Red has a seven-game winning streak within the league with a 7-1 Ivy mark.