HOUSTON, Texas – Big 12 member University of Houston took the lead in the fifth inning and defeated visiting Binghamton baseball 8-4 in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Schroeder Park.
The Bearcats led 3-1 after three innings and took a lead into the fifth before the Cougars plated three runs (two unearned) on just two hits to pull ahead. Houston tacked on three more runs in the seventh and its bullpen did enough to keep BU from rallying late.
Junior second baseman
Nick Roselli opened his season the way he finished his stellar sophomore campaign. He went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI. Roselli hit .357 with 70 hits and 61 RBI in 2023 and he wasted no time in the 2024 opener, delivering a first-inning hit in his first at-bat.
Down 1-0, BU took the lead with two runs in the second. Junior third baseman
Devan Bade led off with a single and graduate first baseman
Sam Haney followed with a single. After a groundout, Bade scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. Junior left fielder
Logan Haskell then delivered a two-out RBI single to give BU a 2-1 lead.
In the third, Roselli belted a two-out, solo home run to make it 3-1. He sent a 2-2 pitch well over the wall in left. Roselli accounted for BU's final run as well. In the eighth, junior right fielder
Mike Gunning led off with a triple to right center and Roselli plated him with an RBI single.
Senior starter
Gabe Driscoll worked 4.1 innings and scattered six hits and three earned runs. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter. Graduate reliever
Theo Farynick finished the game with 1.2 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out one.
Senior center fielder
Tommy Reifler provided some defensive spark with a diving catch on the warning track to end the sixth inning. The Bearcats also turned an impressive double play to end the seventh. Haney fielded a grounder and fired to second, where sophomore shortstop
Mike Stellrecht clipped the bag and returned the throw to Farynick covering first.
Junior designated hitter
Evin Sullivan was BU's other multi-hit player with a 2-for-4 showing.
The teams continue their three-game weekend set Saturday with a 4 p.m. (ET) start. Sophomore transfer
Ryan Bates makes his first start as a Bearcat.
