MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Sophomore starter Ryan Bates stymied Middle Tennessee (10-14) on one hit over seven shutout innings and Binghamton baseball (10-13) scored in seven of nine innings to earn its first shutout of the season, 9-0, Friday night at Reese Smith Jr. Field. The win was BU's third straight. 

Bates (W, 1-1) was in full control, allowing just a fourth-inning single before giving way to senior John Lumpinski, who worked the final two shutout innings. Bates set down the Blue Raiders in order in the first, third, fifth and sixth innings and struck out a pair. In the process, he trimmed his season ERA by more than 1.5 runs (5.88).

The Bearcats gave him plenty of run support by scoring twice in the first and third innings and then adding single runs in each of the final five frames. 

The team's 11-hit attack featured three hits from junior left fielder Logan Haskell, who has 15 hits in his last eight games and has jumped his season average up to .333. Junior third baseman Devan Bade went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBI. Senior DH Andrew Tan ripped a solo home run and had two hits and junior catcher Evin Sullivan continued his hot hotting with two doubles. Sullivan is batting .421 over his last 14 games (24-for-57) and is leading the Bearcats with a .353 season mark. 

Bade belted his home run in the third inning with BU already ahead 2-0. Sullivan hit a one-out double and Bade connected on a two-out shot for his first long ball of the season. 

Tan led off the seventh with his blast - his second of the season. 

The teams finish the three-game set at 2 p.m. Saturday. Senior lefty Nelson Berkwich (1-3, 5.53 ERA) gets the ball.