VESTAL, N.Y. - Junior pitcher Ben Anderson struck out a career-high 10 batters and Binghamton baseball (8-9, 1-1 America East) scored runs in three of the first four innings to defeat Maine (2-18, 1-1 AE) 4-1 and gain a split of their conference-opening doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Bearcats Baseball Complex. The visiting Black Bears took the opener 8-0.

Anderson (W, 3-1) struck out the first two batters of the game and added two more strikeouts in the second, one each in the third and fourth innings and three in the sixth inning. Already the conference leader in strikeouts entering the game, he now has 42 in 31 innings. On his 100th and final pitch of the day in the sixth, Anderson fanned Caleb Kerbs with runners on second and third to get out of a jam. Senior lefty Robert Brown pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for his first save of the spring.  

Binghamton scored a run in the first, two in the third and a final run in the fourth frame. In the first, BU plated its run when senior right fielder Anthony Meduri hit an RBI grounder, which scored junior left fielder Daniel Franchi with an unearned run. Franchi reached on an infield error to lead off the inning. 

After Maine tied the game with a walk-single-sac fly combination in the top of the third, the Bearcats took the lead back with two in the bottom of the frame. Junior second baseman Alex Baratta drilled an RBI double off the third base bag, scoring sophomore center fielder Shane Marshall, who had singled with one out. Three batters later, freshman first baseman Kevin Gsell hit a two-out, two-strike RBI single to center, scoring Baratta to make it 3-1. It was Gsell's first collegiate RBI. 

In the fourth, sophomore shortstop Jake Evans led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Connor Aoki and to third on a passed ball. Evans scored when Marshall hit an infield single to short. 

Pitching in front of MLB scouts, Anderson gave up just four hits - a double and three singles. He lowered his season ERA to 2.90. 

In Game 1, Maine scored runs in six of the nine innings and dealt the Bearcats just their second shutout of the season. The Black Bears had 12 hits, including a pair of home runs. 

Marshall went 2-for-3 in the opener and 3-for-3 in the nightcap, raising his season average to .319. 

Binghamton next plays at Big Ten member Penn State Tuesday night.