For seniors Katie Hansen, Lauren Verrusio, Nicole Vitello and Rose Barre, this is it. Crunch time. Six more conference games left for them to lead the Bearcats to the promised land.
Even after Wednesday’s win against UMBC, the Binghamton softball team is still on the outside looking in as the playoffs approach. The Bearcats are tied with Vermont for last place in the America East Conference at 4-11, and must catch Boston (8-7), which holds the fourth and final postseason spot.
Aside from a non-conference doubleheader with Cornell, the Bearcats have two three-game sets remaining on their palette — first at Maine, then home to host Vermont. While the Vermont series is pivotal given their identical record, the season may not even come down to those final games. First, the Bearcats need to take two-of-three from conference-leading Maine to keep their dream alive.
The Bearcats have been playing better as of late, having won five of their last seven games. Unfortunately, “better” won’t cut it against the Black Bears, who are riding a five-game winning streak.
Playing on the road hasn’t been a Bearcat specialty either. Binghamton is 2-5 in conference road games, with both wins coming last week. And even if the Bearcats manage to sweep the Black Bears, they still need help from other conference rivals to leap-frog past Stony Brook, Hartford and Vermont.
Consistency has also been a recurring problem for the Bearcats. Head coach Holly Brown has preached its importance from day one, but now it isn’t just important. It’s crucial. The bats must come out early and often. The defense needs to be flawless. The pitching needs to be dominant. Otherwise, season over.
The door to the playoffs is still cracked open … but it’s one “L” away from slamming shut.
BU SOFTBALL TEAM PICKS UP CONFERNCE WIN
The Bearcats (11-28, 4-11 AE) continued their road trip on Wednesday, defeating UMBC (41-14, 9-6 AE) in an America East contest 6-1. Once again, Binghamton was led by senior pitcher Katie Hansen, who had a no-hitter broken up in the fifth inning. She finished the game allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven and retiring the final six batters she faced. The offensive firepower was provided by sophomore outfielder Devin Glezen, who scored three runs, including a solo homer, her fifth of the season, in the top of the first inning. Senior shortstop Rose Barre chipped in with two RBI.