ORONO- The Maine softball team played an America East doubleheader against one of the top teams in the conference the Binghamton Bearcats on Saturday afternoon at the UMaine Softball Facility. At the end of the day, Binghamton would take the doubleheader sweep.
Game 1- Binghamton scored a single run in the sixth and seventh innings for a 3-1 win over Maine. The Bearcats scored in the top of the first without a hit. A dropped popup that should of been the third out by shortstop Krista Francois allowed a run to come across. The Black Bears tied it in the bottom of the second as Jasmine Gray led off with a double, Kelby Drews walked, and with two outs freshman catcher Immy Gie singled up the middle to score Gray. The winning run in the sixth was an RBI single by Allison L’Amoreaux to bring home Sarah Rende who had started things with a triple. A throwing error by Francois led the final run of the game in the seventh. Caitlyn Fallon (6-13) was the tough luck loser in the circle allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits with five walks and six strikeouts in the complete 7.0 inning effort. Fallon didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning. Sophia Pappas (6-5) got the victory for Binghamton, also going the complete game and giving up one run on three hits with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Game 2- Binghamton scored three times in the seventh inning and completed the doubleheader sweep with a 4-1 victory. The Bearcats for the second straight game scored in the top of the first. With two outs, Rende tripled and then was driven in when Brianna Santos doubled to left center field. Grace McGouldrick tied it for Maine with a two-out solo homerun in the third inning. The guests would break the game open in that seventh inning as L’Amoreaux led off with a double. Run scoring hits by Alli Richmond, Emma Lawson, and Brianna Roberts helped Binghamton to their 12th America East win and 28th overall. McGouldrick led the Black Bears in the loss with two hits, and Alysen Rieth (5-7) lost in the circle going the complete game allowing four runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Rende had two hits for the Bearcats, and Lindsey Walter (6-2) only allowed a run on three hits in 4.2 innings in the circle for the victory. Binghamton is now 28-13, 12-4 in the conference.
Maine sees their record drop to 12-34, 3-12 in America East and will host Binghamton again on Sunday in the finale of the three game series at 11 a.m.
Recap/Photos by Chris Lessner
