Saturday afternoon marked the first two strikes in the Binghamton University softball team’s plan to win a weekend series against America East rival Albany. Sunday was the third strike for the Bearcats, as they dropped the third game of the series, 14-0, to the Great Danes.
The Bearcats (5-29, 0-14 AE) could not get their offense going in the three-game series, as the Danes’ duo of superb pitching, juniors Leah McIntosh and Marissa Powell, held the Bearcats to only one run over the span of the series.
Albany (27-10, 8-3 AE) just eked out the win in the opening game of the series on Saturday, earning a 1-0 victory. McIntosh and Bearcats junior Cyrilla Suker each pitched complete games, the former a two-hit shutout and the latter a six-hit gem. Unfortunately for the Bearcats, the Danes were able to push a run across the plate in the fifth inning as sophomore Gina Mason launched her fourth homer of the season over the fence. The Bearcats were unable to solve McIntosh and could not muster a run.
In the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, Powell pitched a complete game three-hitter with eight strikeouts. The Binghamton run was unearned.
The Danes got on the scoreboard in the first inning when senior Meagan Butsch crushed a Meghan Tucker pitch over the wall for a two-run shot. Butsch later added a three-run homer, finishing the game with five RBIs. Tucker took the loss, allowing seven runs in 4.1 innings pitched.
Freshman Kristen Emerling finished the game for the Bearcats, pitching 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Binghamton scored in the bottom of the fifth after sophomore catcher Deannie Plemon reached base on a dropped third strike, which was then followed shortly thereafter by a Stephanie Kolodziejski double, scoring Plemon.
In the series finale, the Bearcats fell behind early on a first-inning grand slam by Mason off of Suker. Albany then tacked on six runs in the second inning and four in the third. Emerling was brought in to relieve Suker in the second and allowed only two unearned runs in her 3.2 innings.
McIntosh earned the win for the Danes, upping her record to 16-1 on the season and allowing only two hits in her three innings. Powell then finished up the game, tossing two innings while surrendering just one hit. Offensively, Butsch added three RBIs for Albany.
Sophomore Kelly Schuldt had two hits for BU, while Plemon added the third.
The Bearcats are now on a nine-game skid, but look to turn things around when they face Colgate today in a doubleheader at the East Gym Complex. The Red Raiders (23-12, 11-5 Patriot League) clinched a spot in the Patriot League tournament with a weekend series split with West Point. The Raiders are led offensively by senior Erin Gomez, who leads the team in home runs (five) and is near the top of the squad in RBIs (20). Senior catcher Tiana Tyeskey leads the team with 31 RBIs. On the mound, junior hurler Jesse McCarrick is queen, owning a 10-3 overall record and leading the team in innings pitched (85.2) and strikeouts (55).
The first game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m., with the second game to follow shortly afterward.