BALTIMORE, Md. – Host UMBC (22-28, 11-17 America East) scored in each of the first five innings and withstood a late Binghamton (17-28, 13-15 AE) rally for a 14-11 win in the opening game of a three-game series Thursday night at Alumni Field. The Bearcats trailed 12-1 before scoring 10 runs in the final four innings to tighten the final margin. The game featured a combined 25 runs, 38 hits and took nearly four hours.   
 

With the loss, BU sits one game behind UMass Lowell (14-14) and NJIT (14-14) for the No. 2 playoff seed with two games remaining in the regular season. UMBC clinched a spot in the six-team field, leaving Albany and Hartford to battle for the final berth. Maine is the host and has secured the No. 1 seed for the May 25-28 event.
 

Already assured of a postseason berth, the Bearcats fell behind early and could not gain footing in the contest, despite amassing 21 hits (18 singles). The hosts led 2-0 and then tallied twice in the third, four times in the fourth and four again in the fifth to build a big lead. Binghamton responded late with two in the sixth, four in the seventh and two each in the eighth and ninth innings. 
 

Binghamton had its chances early but stranded four runners in scoring position in the first three innings before UMBC took advantage. 
 

The Bearcats got on the board in the fifth on an RBI single by freshman DH Evin Sullivan (4-for-6, RBI). Then BU scored twice in the sixth and four times in the seventh. Junior first baseman Connor Aoki had an RBI single in the sixth. In the seventh, freshman third baseman Devan Bade (3-for-5, RBI) and senior shortstop Jake Evans (2 hits, 2 RBI) had RBI singles and junior left fielder Cavan Tully added an RBI. 
 

Binghamton scored two more runs in the eighth on RBIs from Evans and sophomore catcher Kevin Reilly (3-for-6, 3 RBI). They loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate with two out before a fly out ended the uprising. In the ninth, Sullivan produced his fourth hit of the game and Reilly followed with a 2-run home run - his fourth of the season - to finish the scoring. Freshman second baseman Nick Roselli (4-for-6) kept the rally going with a double before a groundout ended the game. 
 

With his run-scoring hit, Evans (2 hits, 2 RBI) extended his season hit streak to 18 games – second-longest in program history. Evans is chasing the record of 21 games, set by Joe Charron in 2010. He raised his season average to .351, third-highest in the conference.   
 

Sophomore Gabe Driscoll gets the start for Game 2 of the series, set for 6 p.m. Friday.