VESTAL, N.Y. - Senior right fielder Zach Rogacki snapped a 4-4 tie with a two-run home run in the seventh and Binghamton baseball (16-17, 6-7 America East) hung on to defeat first place NJIT (18-17, 7-3 AE) 7-6 in the series opener Friday night at Bearcats Baseball Stadium. 

After Rogacki's clutch long ball, a deep 2-out blast over the wall in right, Binghamton navigated through a tense ninth inning as the Highlanders scored twice and put the tying run on first before sophomore closer Jake Dally ended it on a fly ball to center. 

Freshman reliever Brady Bouchard (W, 2-3) worked 3.1 innings and held NJIT to one hit and one earned run with five strikeouts. He struck out the first Highlander batter in the ninth before giving way to Dally, who notched a strikeout and posted his team-high third save of the season.

NJIT led 3-1 and limited Binghamton to one hit through five innings and two hits through six. But the Bearcats grabbed the lead with three runs in the sixth, thanks to a walk, two hit batters and a clutch 2-strike, 2-out, bases-clearing double by junior second baseman Zack Kent. Kent's shot off a 1-1 pitch rolled to the wall in left center and gave Binghamton a 4-3 lead.

The Highlanders tied it at 4-4 with an unearned run in the seventh before Rogacki delivered the go-ahead runs with his fifth home run of the season. Up 6-4, Binghamton plated what turned out to be an important insurance run in the eighth when Kent drove in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly. Senior catcher Evin Sullivan began the frame with a walk and graduate first baseman Freddy Forgione followed with a double down the left field line. Kent sent a fly to center, easily scoring Sullivan to make it 7-4. 

Freshman center fielder Matt Bolton had two of Binghamton's five hits and scored three runs. Senior third baseman Devan Bade collected his team-leading 29th RBI with a first inning groundout. 

Saturday's game has been moved up to an 11 a.m. start with rain threatening to move into the area in the early afternoon.