Just like last year, the Binghamton softball team started its season at East Carolina for the Hampton Inn Pirate Clash. And just like last year, the Bearcats finished the tournament with a 1-4 record.
BU’s biggest concern of the weekend was fielding. After practicing all winter at the West Gym, they committed 12 errors in the five games, leading to 20 unearned runs.
The Bearcats started the 2006 season with a 4-1 loss to St. Francis Friday, before picking up a 4-1 victory over Liberty. In the first game, pitchers Patty Egan and Jessica Whitaker didn’t give up an earned run, but a fourth-inning error led to four unearned runs. Katie Hansen pitched a complete game against Liberty, while striking out seven batters.
On Saturday, the Bearcats fell to Longwood 7-2 and East Carolina 15-0. Out of the 22 runs that Hansen, Egan and Meghan Quinn gave up, 11 were unearned. Against a team like East Carolina, who has already played 19 games this season, the Bearcats had to be nearly flawless for a shot at an upset.
In the final game of the tournament on Sunday, BU lost for the second time to St. Francis, 7-0.
The Bearcats will return to action for the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fl. next weekend.
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Ten Binghamton athletes competed at the ECAC/IC4A Indoor Track Championship last weekend, the most since the program moved to Division I. Sophomore Dayna Johnson placed ninth in the triple jump and senior Nick Tillman finished 10th in the men’s heptathlon. Freshman Katie Radzik placed eighth in the 5000-meter run, earning All East honors. Kim Williams, Hasani Hampden, Joy Romulus, Adam Goldberg, Justin Halleck, Jimmy Massar and Keisha Short also qualified for the meet.
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The Binghamton baseball team began its season this weekend at Delaware State, with two doubleheaders against the Hornets. The Bearcats won the first game 14-0, but dropped the next two 6-5 and 21-11, before settling with a 3-3 tie in the finale.
Scott Diamond pitched five scoreless innings in the first game and received plenty of run support for the win. The Bearcats were connecting on all cylinders, as five batters collected three hits each. In the second game, the Hornets took a five-run lead after the first inning. The Bearcats would eventually trim the deficit to one, but with two runners on base at the top of the sixth inning, the game was called due to darkness.
On Sunday, the two teams combined for 37 hits and 32 runs in the opener, and concluded the series with a 3-3 tie in game four. Junior second baseman Matt Simek finished the weekend 5-for-11 at the plate and junior pitcher Mike Van Gorder currently leads the nation in ERA.
The Bearcats will head to Fresno, Calif. next week for the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Tournament.