BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Binghamton baseball (2-4, 2-4 America East) rode strong pitching and several superb defensive plays to defeat visiting UMass Lowell (5-10, 4-2 AE), 3-2, and gain a split of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Rumbletown Stadium. The River Hawks won the opener 14-1. 

In the nightcap, BU plated the winning run in the seventh inning, snapping a 2-2 tie on a close play at the plate. Shortstop Jake Evans led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice from left fielder Tommy Reifler and went to third on a groundout. With center fielder Shane Marshall at the plate, the UML reliever threw a pitch in the dirt and it squirted just behind the plate. Evans aggressively broke from third and just slide in under the tag for the deciding run. 

Sophomore Jack Collins (W, 1-0) pitched the final 4.0 shutout innings and allowed just three singles with a pair of strikeouts. Collins, initially set for a Sunday start, was brought in to give the Bearcats a chance at the DH split, especially with Sunday's scheduled doubleheader in jeopardy with rain in the forecast. 

Collins and the Bearcats benefited from several great defensive plays in the late innings. In the top of the eighth, Reifler made a diving catch near the warning track in left field to prevent an extra-base hit and end the inning. Two innings earlier, he snuffed out another threat with two UML runners on. Reifler tracked and caught a sharp liner in left center and then threw a bullet to second to double-off a River Hawks runner and end the frame.

In the ninth inning, UML put the leadoff runner on with a walk and set up for a sacrifice. The bunt looked perfect until a hard-charging Justin Drpich fielded and fired to second to narrowly beat the runner and wipe out the threat. Collins then froze the next UML hitter on a 3-2 called third strike and induced a fly ball to Reifler to end it.      

Sophomore starter Ryan Bryggman settled down after allowing a pair of UML runs in the first and went 5.0 innings, including four shutout frames to end his day. Bryggman struck out four and allowed just three singles. 

Marshall went 2-for-4 to lead BU's modest six-hit attack. 

The opener got away from the Bearcats shortly after a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Lowell scored all 14 runs over the next five innings and the Bearcats were limited to six hits - two by senior second baseman Alex Baratta. Binghamton scored its run in the first inning. Senior right fielder Daniel Franchi belted a leadoff triple to left center and Marshall plated him with an RBI groundout. But a slew of UML two-out RBIs turned the tide. 

UPDATE
The teams were scheduled to finish off the weekend series with another doubleheader on Sunday but those games have been canceled with continuous rain settling into the area.