NORFOLK, Va. - Host No. 23 ODU (5-1) plated seven runs in the final two innings to rally past Binghamton baseball (2-4) 8-7 in the rubber game of the weekend series Sunday afternoon at Bud Metheny Stadium. The Bearcats led 7-1 before the reigning Conference USA champions responded.

Binghamton collected 11 hits and outhit ODU for the third straight game. The Bearcats bunched their scoring into just two innings, plating four runs in the third inning and three more in the seventh. 

But ODU rallied in the bottom of the seventh with four unearned runs after a two-out infield error prevented BU from closing the door. The Monarchs drew to within two, 7-5, and then scored the decisive three runs in the bottom of the eighth on a walk and three hits, including a two-run home run. Binghamton went down 1-2-3 in the ninth to end it. 

Junior second baseman Cavan Tully had a huge game. He went 4-for-4, belted his first collegiate home run in the third inning and added an RBI in the seventh. Freshman designated hitter Evin Sullivan went 2-for-3 with an RBI, junior right fielder Nick Di Vietro drove in a pair and graduate center fielder Garrett Matheny had two hits.

Junior starter Ryan Bryggmann went 5.0 innings and held ODU to just four hits and a run. Bryggman struck out five and left with a 4-1 lead. In two starts this spring, he is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. 

The Bearcats batted around in the third inning to chase the ODU starter. After Tully belted his 1-out solo home run to right, BU added four more hits, three of which came with two out. Sullivan hit an RBI single through the right side and freshman third baseman Devan Bade followed with an infield single. Di Vietro pulled an RBI single through the right side to make it 4-0. 

Binghamton missed a chance to expand its lead in the top of fourth after putting runners on second and third with no out. But two groundouts and a cutdown at the plate snuffed out the rally. The Bearcats stranded nine runners for the game. 

In the seventh, BU added three runs on three hits. Junior catcher Connor Aoki reached on an error to lead off, Sullivan hit a single and both moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Bade. Di Vietro then hit an RBI grounder that plated Aoki on a close play at home. Sophomore first baseman Eric Madenberg and Tully followed with RBI singles to push BU's lead to 7-1. 

Binghamton next plays a three-game series at VMI beginning on Friday in Lexington, Va.