STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Binghamton baseball (12-12, 12-12 America East) earned a doubleheader split at league-leading Stony Brook (22-13, 18-6 AE) Sunday afternoon at Joe Nathan Field. The Bearcats won the opener 6-2 before dropping a 5-1 decision in Game 2.

In the opener, BU shook off a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the fifth inning and then added three insurance runs in the seventh – thanks to a 3-run home run from senior third baseman Justin Drpich.

The runs made a winner out of sophomore Jack Collins (W, 3-0), who worked 4.1 innings and scattered four hits and two runs with five strikeouts. Freshman reliever Justin Rosner earned his second save of the season with 2.2 scoreless innings. Rosner struck out four and only allowed a single.

The Seawolves took the lead on a pair of two-out RBI hits in the second and third innings before BU countered in the fifth. Junior shortstop Jake Evans reached base on an outfield error and went to third on a groundout. Sophomore left fielder Tommy Reifler stroked an RBI single and senior right fielder Daniel Franchi followed with a run-scoring double to the wall in left center to tie the game at 2-2. Senior second baseman Alex Baratta then singled and Franchi scored on an infield error to give the Bearcats the lead.

Rosner entered in the fifth inning and stranded two with a strikeout. He then struck out two in the sixth to strand the tying run on second.

In the seventh, BU doubled its total when Reifler drew a one-out walk, Baratta singled and then both scored when Drpich sent a 1-0 pitch over the wall in center field for his second home run of the season. Rosner then stranded two more in the seventh to wrap it up.

Baratta went 3-for-4 and Reifler and Franchi collected RBIs to go with Drpich's haul of three.  

In Game 2, Stony Brook struck for four runs in the second inning and despite holding the hosts in check over the final six innings (1 run, 4 hits), BU couldn't capitalize on nine walks. The Bearcats left the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings and stranded 13 baserunners.

Baratta recorded the team's lone RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

Sophomore reliever Tanner Beang kept up his scoreless streak to start his BU career. Beang went 3.0 innings and allowed just one hit. In 10.2 innings this season he has yet to yield a run.  

Binghamton returns home next weekend to host UMBC Saturday and Sunday at Rumbletown Stadium.