WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Binghamton baseball (1-1 America East) scored 11 runs over the final six innings to power past Hartford (1-1 AE) 11-7 and gain a doubleheader split in the team's season-opening games Saturday at Fiondella Field. The Hawks took the seven-inning opener, 5-2.

The Bearcats snapped a 3-3 tie with five runs in the seventh inning and added three more in the final two frames to secure the win. Binghamton outhit Hartford 15-8 and held on through a dicey seventh inning when the Hawks had the tying run at first with no outs.

Second baseman Alex Baratta belted his second home run of the day and drove in five runs to pace BU's offense. Center fielder Shane Marshall went 3-for-4 with an RBI, catcher TJ Wegmann drove in three runs and third baseman Justin Drpich collected three hits.   

Freshman reliever Justin Rosner (W, 1-0) pitched two scoreless innings to record his first collegiate victory. Senior reliever Jake Miller (save) worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out seventh with back-to-back strikeouts and a fly out. He pitched the final 3.0 innings and struck out three. Starter Ryan Bryggman struck out a career-high nine batters in his 4.0 innings of work.

Down 3-0, BU struck for three in the middle innings – two on a Baratta long ball with one out in the fifth.

In the deciding seventh inning, BU batted around and scored five runs on seven hits. Baratta and Wegmann each delivered a two-run single and freshman left fielder Tommy Reifler (2-for-4, RBI) added an RBI single.   

In Game 1, BU jumped out in front on a leadoff home run from first baseman Kevin Gsell in the top of the second but the Hawks capitalized on three Bearcat errors in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good.

In the top half, Gsell jumped on a pitch and sent it over the left field wall for a 1-0 BU lead. The Bearcats then put two more runners on before a strikeout ended the inning.

But Hartford countered in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of three BU errors to score three unearned runs. Hartford added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to offset a solo home run by Baratta.

Baratta belted a leadoff home run in the sixth to make it 4-2, and BU brought the tying run to the plate later in the inning before a strikeout halted the threat.

Sophomore starter Thomas Babalis allowed four hits and one earned run in 4.0 innings. He struck out three. 

The teams play another doubleheader Sunday beginning at noon.