On a cold Wednesday afternoon, the Binghamton softball team hosted Cornell for a doubleheader. The Bearcats took an early lead in game one but fell 11-8, and game two was suspended due to darkness.
Game one saw BU (12-12) get out to a hot start in the bottom of the second inning. The offense put up four runs on Cornell (5-11, 1-2 Ivy League) with three coming from a homer by sophomore utility Shelby Carvalho. With a 4-1 advantage, sophomore pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux was able to assert control over the game. Through the first four innings the Bearcat gave up only a single run, however, the Big Red rallied in the fifth inning, due in part to a questionable call at first base.
The call resulted in Cornell getting the bases loaded with no outs. The Big Red took advantage of this by putting up four runs in the inning thanks to three hits, including a three-run home run.
After the fifth inning, the score was 6-5 in the Bearcats’ favor. This resulted in a back and forth showdown between the two sides for the final two innings. Binghamton put two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-6 advantage over Cornell. However, this lead did not last as the Big Red put up five runs in the top of the seventh to give them the lead. BU needed at least three runs to extend the contest but was unable to score, falling 11-8.
Binghamton did not lack offense in the first contest as they tallied 10 hits throughout the game. Four different Bearcats had multiple hits including redshirt junior outfielder Chloe Morgan, senior infielder Makayla Alvarez, junior utility Quinn DeCicco and junior infielder Alex Musial. Ultimately, it was the late defensive plunders that prevented BU from coming away with a victory. The Binghamton pitching staff allowed 13 hits with six coming in the seventh inning as Cornell scored 10 of its runs in the final three innings of play.
The second game of the series started as a high-scoring affair but was suspended after three innings of play due to the Bearcats Sports Complex’s lack of lights. BU trailed 11-10 until both head coaches gathered and agreed to call the game. The second game will not count.
BU returns to the field for an away matchup against Colgate on Tuesday, April 5. The first game of the doubleheader is slated for 2:30 p.m. at the Eaton Street Softball Complex in Hamilton, New York.