Heading into the home stretch of its regular season, the Binghamton University softball team is hoping to put an exclamation mark on its stellar breakout season.
Since April 14, the Bearcats (20-17, 8-3 America East) have gone 7-4, including a four-game America East win streak, tying their second-best conference win total in Division I history. With six more conference games to go, the third-place Bearcats have an opportunity to break their all-time conference record of 11 wins, set back in 2002, the team’s first season in Division I. Binghamton played 24 conference games that season, as opposed to just 17 this year.
In its most recent series this past weekend, the Bearcats swept the University of Maine with a healthy combination of good pitching and clutch hitting. In Game 1, Binghamton battled back from a four-run deficit after sophomore pitcher Rhoda Marsteller gave up five runs over three innings. Binghamton took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth when a double steal forced a Maine throwing error, which allowed the go-ahead run to score.
In Game 2 of the doubleheader, Binghamton came ready with its bats and took a commanding 5-0 lead after only two innings in a 7-3 win. Junior Bearcat pitcher Kristen Emerling had an impressive complete game, allowing three runs on three hits, with one walk and four strikeouts.
On the season, the Bearcats have had an impressive showing in conference, boasting the America East’s best hitter in sophomore Jessica Phillips and top pitcher in fellow sophomore Kate Price. Phillips, who has been previously named America East Player of the Week, now boasts an impressive .495 average, with 13 home runs and 40 RBI. Price continues to shine in her relief role with a 1.24 ERA with 42 strikeouts and only eight earned runs in 45 innings. Senior Deannie Plemon, the program’s all-time leader with 32 home runs and 118 RBI, is having a solid offensive season with a .294 average, nine home runs and 39 RBI. Emerling is also having a solid season with a record of 7-4, a 2.81 ERA and six complete games.
In past years, Binghamton has struggled against upcoming America East opponent Stony Brook. Though Binghamton took the 2010 series 2-1, the Seawolves had swept the Bearcats in each of the previous three seasons. Most recently, Stony Brook is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Quinnipiac University, beating them 2-0 in the first game and 4-3 in an eight-inning second game. Starting pitchers Colleen Matthes and Alexandra Clark combined for 14.1 innings on the day, with three runs on six hits, four strikeouts and five walks. Stony Brook’s team leaders in hitting include Bernadette Tenuto whose .347 average, 18 RBI and three home runs lead the Seawolves, and Jessica Combs’ solid .298 average, two home runs and 13 RBI follow closely behind.
Matthes is Stony Brook’s No. 1 starter, totaling an 11-15 record with a 3.13 ERA in 174.2 innings of work.
In other news, Binghamton played a non-conference doubleheader yesterday at Syracuse, falling to the Orange 5-0 in the first game. Syracuse pitcher Jenna Caira kept the Bearcats guessing all day, holding them to only two hits in her complete game shutout. In the bottom of the first, Syracuse third baseman Hallie Gibbs hit a two-run shot to give the Orange an early 2-0 lead. Then, in the bottom of the fifth, Syracuse scored its final three runs on a two-RBI, bases loaded single by Lacey Kohl and a sacrifice fly by Jasmine Watson. Binghamton’s only two hits came from freshman Jessica Bump and junior Meghan Tucker. Pitchers Emerling and freshman Demi Laney allowed five runs on four hits, with four strikeouts and four walks.
Syracuse completed a doubleheader sweep with a 4-0 victory in Game 2. Caira started again for the Orange and handled the Bearcats’ offense just as easily as she did in Game 1. She didn’t go the distance, but struck out 11 in six shutout innings, giving up just two hits and two walks. Caira gave way to Stacy Kuwik in the seventh inning, where Kuwik worked a 1-2-3 inning to end the game. With two wins on the day, Caira now has a 24-9 record. Gibbs had an RBI double in the third inning to put Syracuse up 1-0. Watson knocked in two runs in the fifth with a double, widening her team’s lead to 3-0. The Orange tacked on a run in the sixth on Stephanie Watts’ RBI double. Marsteller started for Binghamton, tossing three innings of one-run ball while surrendering four hits and two walks. She took the loss, which evens her record to 8-8. Price relieved her and gave up three runs in three innings of work. Phillips and senior Stephanie DeLuca got the only hits for the Bearcats.
First pitch at Stony Brook is scheduled for 1 p.m. tomorrow.