The University of Maine softball team opens up America East postseason play at 11 a.m. Wednesday, when it takes the field at Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York. The tournament is being hosted by Binghamton, Maines first round opponent.
Maine, 20-23 overall and a 9-7 regular season America East mark, enters the tournament as the #4 seed. The Black Bears will be the home team when it faces the #5 seeded Binghamton Bearcats, despite Binghamton playing on their home field. Binghamton was 16-23, 9-9 in regular season.
The double elimination tournament also includes the top two seeds in #1 Albany and #2 UMass-Lowell. The second game Wednesday will be #3 Stony Brook vs #6 UMBC. With a win Maine would play #1 Albany Thursday at 11 a.m., and with a loss would face the Stony Brook-UMBC loser at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Maine last won the postseason tournament in 2016.
Maine was 1-2 against Binghamton in regular season. The Bears are led by Rachel Carlson who is hitting .329 with 12 RBI. Laurine German is hitting .282 with 13 RBI, and Erika Leonard is at .275 with 12 RBI, but a .336 clip in conference play. Third baseman Alyssa Derrick led the team with five homeruns. Annie Kennedy leads the pitchers in the circle with a 9-7 record and a 1.54 ERA. Kennedy has 90 strikeouts in 122.2 innings, while only walking 14.
Carlson, German, Leonard and Kennedy were all named to the all conference second team when America East announced their end of season awards on Tuesday. Freshman pitcher Kyleigh O’Donnell made the conference all rookie team. Carlson and Leonard were also honored as All-Academic team selections.
