The Binghamton University softball team had its share of ups and downs this weekend as it dropped both games of Saturday’s doubleheader before outslugging the Stony Brook University Seawolves in the series finale.
The Bearcats (21-19, 9-5 America East), who have won only once in their previous four series versus the Seawolves (19-25, 5-10 AE), came out flat in Saturday’s opener. Junior Kristen Emerling allowed three first-inning hits, one of which was a two-out RBI double, and Binghamton fell into a 1-0 hole. Stony Brook pushed its lead to 2-0 in the third, when two wild pitches and a throwing error by Emerling led to an RBI single from Seawolf freshman Jessica Combs.
Binghamton had an opportunity to put runs on the board in the fifth, using consecutive hit-by-pitches to place runners on first and second with one out, but freshman Jessica Bump and sophomore Shannon Kane could not capitalize. In the ensuing half inning, Stony Brook scored another unearned run off an error by freshman third baseman Mikala King.
Although sloppy defense enabled Stony Brook to score two runs, head coach Michelle Burrell seemed more concerned with her team’s offense.
“I think we were more disappointed with the way we started the game and not being able to make an adjustment with their pitcher,” she said. “We expect our pitchers to be able to give up some runs.”
The Bearcats couldn’t muster a late-inning rally off senior pitcher Colleen Matthes, who worked a complete game while fanning nine. Binghamton ultimately fell, 3-0, and recorded just three hits off Matthes. Emerling also went the distance in the loss, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out six Seawolves.
Stony Brook coach Megan Bryant sent Matthes to the mound for the second half of Saturday’s doubleheader, and the senior delivered once again. Through the first five innings, only two Bearcats advanced into scoring position, and Matthes prevented them both from crossing the plate.
Although the Bearcats struggled to produce runs, sophomore Rhoda Marsteller allowed just three hits through the first four innings, and the game remained knotted at zero until the bottom of the fifth when Stony Brook’s offense exploded for six runs. Marsteller retired two of the first three Seawolves in the fifth, but subsequently allowed three singles and a walk before Taylor Chain’s grand slam capped off the assault.
The Bearcats pushed one run across the plate on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly by freshman Demi Laney, but Matthes, who completed her second gem of the day, retired the side before Binghamton could inflict any more damage.
Marsteller and Matthes squared off in Sunday’s series finale, and Stony Brook took a commanding 6-0 lead in the first inning, forcing coach Burrell to substitute sophomore Kate Price for her starter after just two-thirds of an inning.
Binghamton got on the board in the third when senior Deannie Plemon belted a two-run homer with two outs to cut the deficit to 6-2, and a Laney grand slam later tied the game in the fourth. All six runs were attributed to Matthes, who left the game before recording an out in the fourth inning.
“I thought we made a better adjustment as far as she was throwing a lot of outside pitches,” Burrell said of her team’s performance against Matthes. “We were a little anxious in the beginning of the game, but we settled down and started to go after good pitches.”
In the seventh, the Bearcats loaded the bases with two outs. Bump walked and Laney reached on an error, and Binghamton entered the bottom of the seventh with an 8-6 lead.
However, Price could not shut the door on the Seawolves as she hit a batter and allowed a single before surrendering the game-tying double with no outs. Laney, who started the game as the designated hitter, relieved Price and retired three straight Seawolves to force extra innings.
In the eighth, Plemon worked a two-out walk, senior Stephanie DeLuca followed with a hit-by-pitch and King delivered the go-ahead RBI single. Laney took advantage of the bottom of Stony Brook’s lineup, striking out the side to end the game.
The Binghamton relief duo of Price and Laney combined for seven-and-one-third innings, six hits, two runs and 11 strikeouts.
“Kate [Price] did an excellent job coming in and throwing a good part of the game. I thought she did a really good job getting groundballs and getting outs for us,” Burrell said. “When Demi [Laney] came in, she had a runner on with nobody out and she just kept great composure.”
With Sunday’s win, the Bearcats clinched a berth in the four-team America East tournament, which is set to begin on May 12 and will be hosted by the No. 1 seed. Third-place Binghamton concludes regular season conference play this weekend with a three-game series at home against Boston University, the current first-place squad. A Bearcat sweep of the Terriers and two University at Albany losses to Stony Brook would award Binghamton the top seed.Ari Kramer