ITHACA, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Binghamton Bearcats erupted for five first-inning runs and never looked back, cruising to an 11-4 victory over the Cornell Big Red in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday at Hoy Field.

The Bearcats (18-13) sent 10 men to the plate in the opening frame against a struggling Cornell (6-21) pitching staff, setting an immediate tone. Binghamton’s Br Gonzalez walked, stole second and third, and ultimately stole home as part of a double steal. Tommy Popoff provided the big blow later in the inning, a two-run double to right-center field that scored Steve Kraus and Matt Bolton.

Cornell chipped away with a single run in the second inning on a bases-loaded walk by Sam Beaulieu, but the game’s momentum shifted decisively back to Binghamton following a Cornell rally in the fifth. After a solo home run by pinch-hitter Lopez, TJ Swidorski launched a two-run homer to center field, bringing the Big Red within four runs at 11-4 and prompting a Binghamton pitching change.

The most important sequence of the game followed immediately. With the potential for a larger Cornell rally, Binghamton reliever Conlan Taylor entered with two outs in the fifth and induced an inning-ending groundout. He then worked a perfect sixth inning. He was followed by Ian Kaiser and Hayden Tarsia, who each threw a scoreless inning. This quartet of Bearcat relievers — Soren Gregor, Taylor, Kaiser and Tarsia — combined for 5 2/3 perfect innings of relief, allowing no hits and no walks while striking out five. Their collective effort slammed the door on any Cornell comeback hopes.

Binghamton added insurance in the later innings. Pinch-hitter Zachary Anderson launched a two-run homer in the seventh, and Tim Hennig delivered a two-run, ground-rule double in the ninth to cap the scoring.

The Bearcats amassed 11 runs on nine hits, leveraging 12 walks and three hit batters. Cornell managed just five hits, with Swidorski’s two-run homer standing as its key offensive moment. Max Foster provided a bright spot for the Big Red with two scoreless innings of relief.

The result extended Binghamton’s winning streak to four games, while Cornell dropped its fourth straight. The teams are scheduled to meet again next Tuesday in Binghamton.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected an 8-3 Binghamton victory, with the Bearcats given a 66.1% probability to win. The actual margin of victory exceeded both projections.

Binghamton next travels for a three-game series at Bryant beginning Friday. Cornell opens Ivy League play at home against Yale in a doubleheader on Saturday.