GREENSBORO, N.C. - Binghamton baseball (1-3) shook off an early 3-0 deficit and surged past UNC Greensboro (4-1) 8-5 in the opening game of a weekend set Friday night at UNCG Baseball Stadium. The win, BU's first of the spring, was noteworthy against a Spartans team that three days earlier upended No. 1 Wake Forest. 

The Bearcats scored six straight middle-inning runs to grab a 6-3 lead and senior reliever Justin Rosner provided 2.2 scoreless, one-hit innings of relief to keep BU on top. With BU clinging to a 6-5 lead and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Rosner entered and posted back-to-back high-leverage strikeouts to strand three and hold the lead. Binghamton tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the seventh and junior closer Chris Sleeper put down UNCG in order in the ninth with two strikeouts and a lineout.  

Senior starter Gabe Driscoll went 4.0 innings, struck out seven and allowed just three hits and one earned run. 

Graduate first baseman Sam Haney went 2-for-4 with three RBI, senior right fielder Mike Gunning delivered a solo home run, triple and two RBI and sophomore shortstop Mike Stellrecht went 2-for-2 with a clutch two-out, two-strike RBI.

After giving up two unearned runs in the second and another run in the third, BU was facing a 3-0 hole. But the Bearcat bats came to life in the middle innings with two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and two final runs in the seventh.

In the fourth, junior DH Evin Sullivan doubled with one out and Gunning followed with an RBI triple to right center to get BU on the board. Haney then served an RBI single through the right side to make it 3-2. In the fifth, the Bearcats plated three with the aid of two walks and a hit batter. The hit pitch tied the game and then with two out, Haney came through with a two-out, two-run double down the left field line to give BU a 5-3 lead. In the sixth, BU added a sixth run when senior left fielder Christian Perez dropped down a run-scoring sacrifice bunt. 

After Rosner limited the damage in the sixth, the Bearcats got both runs back in the seventh to complete the scoring. Gunning took a one-out first-pitch over the wall in left center for a 7-5 lead. After a two-out walk by senior catcher Kevin Reilly and a single by freshman second baseman Todd Abraham (first collegiate hit), Stellrecht sent an 0-2 pitch through the left side for an RBI single.  

The teams continue the series with a 1 p.m. tilt on Saturday. Sophomore RHP Ryan Bates (0-1, 6.75 ERA) makes his second start of the season. The game was moved up an hour due to the forecast.