VESTAL, N.Y. - Visiting Maine (17-11, 11-0 America East) hit solo home runs in the seventh and eighth innings to rally past Binghamton baseball (18-12, 5-3 AE) 5-4 Saturday night at the Bearcats Baseball Complex. It was the second straight 5-4 score in a tight game between the top two teams in the America East. The start of the game was delayed four hours with the threat of lightning throughout the area. 

The Bearcats doubled-up the Black Bears in hits (10-5) but three of Maine's five hits were home runs - accounting for all five of its runs. 

Down 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, junior pinch hitter Christian Perez led off with a single, putting the tying run on base. But BU couldn't convert and a strikeout and double play grounder ended the game. 

The loss squandered a strong outing from senior starter Ryan Bryggman, who moved up a day on short notice and went 6.0 innings, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts. After giving up a 3-run home run in the first inning, Bryggman didn't allow a hit over his final five frames and retired 12 of his last 13 batters. He left with a 4-3 lead.

After trailing 3-0, BU countered with single runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-3 lead. In the first, junior right fielder Mike Gunning belted a 1-out solo home run deep over the wall in center. It was his third of the season. The Bearcats took a 2-1 lead when Gunning led off the third with a ground-rule double to center. After moving to third on a groundout, Gunning scored when senior first baseman Kevin Gsell delivered an RBI single up the middle. 

In the fourth, junior center fielder Tommy Reifler led off with a perfectly placed bunt single and three batters later, Gunning plated him with a sacrifice fly to left. That run tied the game at 3-3.

In the fifth, Gsell led off with his fourth home run of the season - an opposite field shot that cleared the wall in right for a 4-3 lead. 

Gunning and Gsell had two hits and two RBI apiece and Reifler and Tully added two hits each.

The teams will play the final game of the series at 11 a.m. Sunday, with normal No. 2 starter Gabe Driscoll (4-0, 2.64 ERA) looking to get BU back in the winning column.