ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Host Navy (24-23) scored five runs in the eighth inning to rally past visiting Binghamton baseball (21-20) 9-7 Saturday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.

In the first-ever meeting between the two programs, the Bearcats led 7-4 in the eighth before Navy struck for the deciding runs on four hits. The Midshipmen tallied 14 hits but condensed their scoring into just three innings and took their only lead of the game in the eighth. 

Binghamton got on the board first with two runs in the second. After Navy got one back in the bottom of the frame, the Bearcats added two in the fourth to go up 4-1. The two runs were courtesy of graduate first baseman Freddy Forgione, who belted his eighth home run of the season - a two-run bomb that traveled 400+ feet over the left field wall. 

Navy tied the game with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. But Binghamton pushed ahead in the seventh with a run. In the bottom of the seventh, the Midshipmen threatened with a bases-loaded, no-out uprising before sophomore reliever Conner Griffin got two fly outs to keep it a scoreless frame. The first fly to right turned into two outs when senior Zach Rogacki made the catch and fired home to get the tagging Navy runner for a double play. 

The Bearcats added two more runs in the eighth to build a 7-4 lead. With one out, sophomore second baseman Todd Abraham banged a two-run triple to the left field corner. 

Forgione went 2-for-4 with a double and the two-run home run. Abraham also went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Rogacki had an RBI single to put the Bearcats ahead 5-4 in the seventh. Freshman DH Steven Kraus had the other RBI when he hit a hard infield grounder in the second inning. 

Sophomore starter Hayden Tarsia worked 3.2 innings and allowed just one run on four hits with two strikeouts. 

The teams close out the abbreviated two-game series at 1 p.m. Sunday.