Preview: Longwood at Binghamton

ALBANY, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Binghamton Bearcats (21-14) host the Longwood Lancers (24-16) on Friday at 6:07 p.m. at Varsity Field for the opener of a three-game non-conference series.

The game-time forecast calls for 64-degree temperatures and cloudy skies.

Binghamton enters on a two-game skid after a 10-6 loss to Cornell on Tuesday. The Bearcats’ offense struggled, but reliever Jake Dally provided a bright spot, tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Dally has been sharp out of the bullpen, allowing just one earned run over his last 5 2/3 innings across three appearances.

Longwood comes in riding a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating Virginia Military Institute 10-4 on Tuesday. First baseman Jon Howard led the way, going 2 for 4 with four RBIs. Howard has been hot at the plate, driving in seven runs over his last three games while batting .333 (5 for 15) in that span.

The Lancers have won four of their last six overall but have been inconsistent on the road, dropping two of three at William & Mary and splitting a series at The Citadel earlier this month.

Binghamton’s offense has been potent at home, averaging 9.3 runs in their last three games at Varsity Field. The Bearcats have relied on timely hitting and extra-base power, with their bullpen holding opponents to a .229 average over the past week.

Longwood will need strong starting pitching after using multiple arms in recent outings. The Lancers’ staff has a 4.80 ERA over the last 10 games, with relievers Jackson Nash and Joe Castrichini combining for six scoreless innings against VMI.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 Binghamton victory.

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.