The Binghamton University softball team ended an 11-game losing streak to Stony Brook, taking two of three games and winning the series this weekend.
Stony Brook struck early in the opener on Saturday, scoring two runs off two hits in the first. Binghamton (24-17, 8-10 America East) answered back with three runs in the third, with help from a double by redshirt freshman Jessica Phillips, a groundout RBI by junior Deannie Plemon and a two-RBI single by junior Stephanie DeLuca. This gave the Bearcats a 3-2 lead going into the fourth inning.
Binghamton didn’t hold the lead for long, though, as Stony Brook plated two more runs in the fourth, giving the team a one-run lead by a score of 4-3. Seawolves’ pitcher Alyssa Struzenberg shut down the Bearcat offense in the remaining innings, giving her the complete game and the win. Struzenberg allowed only three runs off three hits while firing eight strikeouts.
Struzenberg started Game 2 as well, allowing no runs through the first three innings of play. The Seawolves got on the board first again, scoring a run in the fourth. The Binghamton bats awoke in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs off a double by Colleen Whitaker. Phillips and Plemon each smashed a homer in the fifth, giving the Bearcats a 4-1 lead. This would be the final score as sophomore Kristen Emerling allowed only two hits for the remainder of the game. Emerling pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and striking out four.
‘I thought we did a good job of getting on their pitcher early in Game 2 after seeing her for a whole game in the opener,’ head coach Michelle Burrell said.
In the final game of the series, Emerling pitched her second complete game in as many days, holding off Stony Brook by a score of 5-4 on Sunday. The Bearcats were the first to strike when Phillips homered to left field to lead off the first inning. In the second inning, Binghamton added to its lead, scoring four runs off two wild pitches, an RBI single by Plemon and a groundout by DeLuca. This gave the Bearcats a 5-0 lead going into the third.
Stony Brook wasn’t going down without a fight, however, as the Seawolves plated three runs in the third. Two doubles, a single and a Binghamton error cut the deficit to only two runs with the Bearcats leading 5-3. Neither team scored again until the seventh when Stony Brook tacked on an extra run off a double, a single and a sacrifice fly. One run was not enough, though, as Binghamton held on to win 5-4.
For her efforts this weekend, Jessica Phillips was named both America East Player and Rookie of the Week. She hit .500, including 1.643 slugging, collecting seven RBI and eight runs. It was Phillips’ second Rookie of the Week award and first Player of the Week honors.
The Bearcats could advance to the America East tournament if UMBC sweeps Albany this weekend. Binghamton will resume play today at the East Gym Field, taking on Cornell in a doubleheader. The game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.