Coming into the weekend with a 12-game winning streak, the Binghamton softball team failed to maintain its momentum and sustained a series loss in America East (AE) play against UAlbany, going 1-2 over the weekend. After losing 1-0 in game one, BU bounced back in game two to win 8-2. In the rubber match, the Bearcats’ offense was shutout, as they fell 9-0 to the Great Danes.

“Obviously not the outcome we wanted, but sometimes you just have an off day,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We know when we play our game we are in a position to win, but we were a little off. We’ve been on a really great stretch, and I expect that we will be back this week with better outcomes.”

Game one on Saturday saw a low-scoring affair with a pitcher’s duel between Binghamton’s (28-12, 10-4 AE), sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts and UAlbany’s (21-11, 9-5 AE) starter. Despite Roberts giving up only one run to the Great Danes in the third inning, the Bearcats’ offense failed to provide any run support, registering only two hits throughout the entirety of the game. Albany took game one 1–0.

“[Albany has] one of the best pitchers in the conference and really commanded the zone,” Bump wrote. “We put ourselves in a position with runners in second and third in the seventh inning but just weren’t able to pull through.”

In their second game on Saturday, BU bounced back with an 8-2 win. The Bearcats faced an early two-run deficit in the bottom of the first. However, BU’s offense finally clicked in the second as freshman infielder Elisa Allen mashed a home run and second baseman utility Maddy Dodig smacked a game-tying RBI double. Then, in the third inning, senior third baseman Shelby Carvalho hit a three-run home run to give BU a 5-2 lead. In the closing frames, the Bearcats tacked on three more insurance runs. Meanwhile, sophomore pitcher Olivia Kennedy bounced back to finish with a final stat line of seven innings pitched with five strikeouts, giving up just two runs to the Great Danes.

“We were swinging freer in game two and obviously, we had good results because of it,” Bump wrote. “We are a team that rides on momentum, and we had it the whole game.”

In the rubber match on Sunday, the Great Danes got to senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux early, tagging her for four runs in the first inning. L’Amoreaux was replaced by graduate student pitcher Lindsey Walter in the second. However, Walter did not fare much better, giving up five runs on eight hits in three innings of work. BU’s offense also remained dormant, tallying just two hits over five innings. Binghamton was shut out 9-0 as the game ended in five innings due to the run rule.

“[L’Amoreaux] has had an amazing season, and kudos to Albany for having her number today,” Bump wrote. “They are a tough offensive team, and they put some good swings on a few pitches that were left up in the zone. She’s a competitor, and no doubt she will get back to work this week.”

Binghamton will take on Colgate in a doubleheader looking to protect its 10-0 record at home this season on Wednesday, April 24. First pitch for the first game is set for 4 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.