BEAUMONT, Texas - Host Lamar scored the winning run on a two-out single in the bottom of the 14th inning and the Cardinals (1-0) edged Binghamton baseball (0-1) 2-1 in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium. It was the second-longest game in BU program history (innings), one inning shy of the school record. 

In a masterful pitching display by both teams, 10 pitchers (5 for each team) combined to post 37 strikeouts and allow just one earned run. Bearcat pitchers went 13.2 innings without allowing an earned run. 

Junior catcher Connor Aoki provided BU's offense with a solo home run in the seventh inning. He sent a 1-out pitch over the left field wall for his first collegiate home run. Aoki had two of BU's four hits on the evening. 

Junior left-hander Thomas Babalis was strong in his first start, scattering three hits and no earned runs in his five frames. Babalis struck out three before giving way to sophomore Gabe Driscoll, who went 1.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Junior Jack Collins didn't allow a hit and struck out five in his 2.1 scoreless innings. He left the bases loaded in the seventh with a strikeout.

Sophomore Justin Rosner went 3.0 scoreless innings and struck out two, including one with a pair of runners on to end the 12th. Sophomore Alex Henderson pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed just one hit. He stranded two with a strikeout in the bottom of the 13th. 

The quintet of pitchers stranded 13 Lamar baserunners but ran out of magic in the 14th, when the leadoff hitter reached on an infield error. After two groundouts and an intentional walk, the hosts won it with an RBI single up the middle. 

Binghamton had precious few opportunities to cash in with runners on base but put the leadoff hitter on base in the top of the 14th when graduate transfer and center fielder Garrett Matheny drew a walk. After a strikeout, Aoki lashed a single to right but Matheny was thrown out at third on a relay. The Bearcats also put the leadoff hitter aboard in the 11th inning on a Cavan Tully walk. But after Tully stole second and with two outs, went to third on a wild pitch, he was left stranded on a comebacker to the mound.   

Sophomore left fielder Tommy Reifler extended the game in the bottom of the 11th when he fielded a single and fired to the plate to beat the runner and deny the winning run. 

The teams will return to the field on short rest for Saturday's 3 p.m. Game 2. 

NOTE
The longest game (innings) in program history was a 4-3 loss in 15 innings to host Marshall on March 2, 2019