By RYAN LOMBARDI
oleanstarsports@gmail.com
ST. BONAVENTURE — Behind a dominant relief outing from freshman right-hander Eamon Giblin and a late offensive surge, St. Bonaventure University baseball pulled away for a 7-3 win over Binghamton on March 31 at the newly renovated Fred Handler Park.
St. Bonaventure grabbed the lead in the third inning. Senior shortstop Chris Hoalcraft delivered an RBI groundout before junior third baseman Manuel Castro followed with an RBI single to give the Bonnies a 2-0 lead.
Binghamton (10-13) responded in the fifth, capitalizing on traffic on the bases. Sophomore outfielder Braylen Gonzalez drew an RBI walk, and sophomore infielder Sean Sweeney added a game-tying RBI groundout to even the score at 2-2.
That’s when Giblin took over.
Entering with the bases loaded and one out, the freshman righty limited the damage and then completely shut down the Bearcats lineup. Giblin tossed 2.2 hitless innings, allowing no runs while striking out two and walking one, retiring seven straight at one point.
“He came in during a really tough situation… and limited the damage,” head coach Jason Rathbun said. “Then he stacked some innings and put up zeros. Really proud of him.”
After several quiet innings offensively, the Bonnies broke through in a big way in the eighth.
Junior outfielder Joey Calabretti was hit by a pitch to start the rally, and sophomore infielder Joey Bruno moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Hoalcraft was intentionally walked to set the table for Castro, who delivered the go-ahead two-run double.
“We’ve talked about finding that clutch hit in big moments, and that’s why Manny got the belt today,” Rathbun said. “We’ve been looking for that big hit with runners on, and he delivered. He’s moved around in the lineup a bit, but he came up in a big spot and got it done.”
Junior outfielder Anthony Fernandez followed with an RBI double, and junior catcher Antonio Cordeiro capped the inning in emphatic fashion, launching a two-run home run — his first career homer in St. Bonaventure — over the left-center field wall.
The five-run frame gave St. Bonaventure a 7-2 cushion.
“Insurance runs are always big,” Rathbun said. “That gave us a lot of belief we were going to finish it.”
Senior right-hander Tristan Ciampa earned the win and closed things out in the ninth, despite Binghamton pushing across a run on an RBI single from Sweeney.
Senior right-hander Derek Duvall made his first career start and tossed three scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out three.
“He gave us exactly what we needed,” Rathbun said. “Set the tone and allowed us to get going.”
For Rathbun and the Bonnies, the win was more than just a midweek non-conference game — it was a sign of growth.
“We’ve been in a lot of close games this year,” Rathbun said. “You’ve got to learn how to win those. Today was a step in the right direction.”
