STONY BROOK, N.Y. - In a battle between baseball programs that have combined to win 11 of the last 14 America East regular season titles, fortuitous Stony Brook (14-16, 10-3 AE) hit a go-ahead 2-run home run in the eighth inning to edge visiting Binghamton baseball (8-20, 4-9 AE) 5-3 in the series opener Friday afternoon at Joe Nathan Field. 

Held to just one hit through six innings, BU twice rallied to tie the game in the late innings and had the go-ahead run on third (bases loaded) in the bottom of the eighth inning. Binghamton outhit Stony Brook 6-5 for the game.

Junior starter Thomas Babalis worked 7.0 innings and held the Seawolves to four hits (3 singles) and two runs with five strikeouts. 

The Seawolves scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to build a 2-0 lead. A leadoff home run in the fourth opened the scoring and then the fifth-inning run scored on an infield pop-up single, bloop single and sacrifice bunt. 

In the seventh, freshman center fielder Logan Haskell opened by reaching base on a hit-by-pitch. With one out, he scampered to third on an errant pick-off throw. Freshman DH Evin Sullivan then tied the game with a 2-out home run to left field. Sullivan belted a 2-2 pitch well over the wall for his third homer in the last four games. 

Stony Brook, however, reclaimed the lead with a controversial run in the bottom of the seventh. A one-out hit-by-pitch and successive wild pitches moved a Seawolves runner to third. An ensuing grounder to third was sent home by freshman Devan Bade and sophomore catcher Kevin Reilly applied the tag multiple times on the Seawolves runner who had yet to touch home. The safe signal was called however, giving Stony Brook a 3-2 advantage. 

In the eighth, BU rallied again by sending seven men to the plate. Senior shortstop Jake Evans led off with a single and sophomore right fielder Tommy Reifler moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Junior left fielder Cavan Tully followed with an RBI single through the right side to make it 3-3. Haskell singled and with two outs and Sullivan was intentionally walked to load the bases, but a long drive by freshman second baseman Nick Roselli was caught near the wall in right center to end the threat. 

After two near-miss strike three calls resulted in a two-out walk, the Seawolves scored the deciding runs via home run. Binghamton brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth but ultimately struck out three times in the frame to end it.    

Evans went 2-for-3 and Sullivan raised his team-high season RBI count to 17 with his two driven in. 

The teams continue the weekend set with a 1 p.m. start on Saturday.