“We were happy to get the two wins at Albany,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “It’s a tough place to go and play, so I was happy with how we had to grind out some wins.”

Binghamton (33-12, 16-2 AE) began Friday locked into a pitcher’s duel against the hosts, Albany (19-24, 9-8 AE). Junior pitcher Brianna Roberts kept the Great Danes from reaching home through the first four innings, but the Bearcat bats struggled to rally behind her.

This opened the door in the fifth frame for an RBI double that put Albany up 1-0, but Roberts held Albany to just one run through six. This allowed the answer to finally come off of sophomore utility Maddy Dodig’s bat in the top of the seventh in an RBI double, with a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame by Roberts sending it to extras.

Binghamton capitalized from there with an unearned run to begin the eighth before junior outfielder Bella Farina sent home two more to make it 4-1. While Roberts got rattled by a series of singles that brought the score to 4-3, she settled in for the dagger punchout to secure the 18th win of the year.

“Both [Roberts] and [junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy] have been solid for us all year,” Bump wrote. “The two of them along with the rest of our pitching staff has kept us in every ball game we have played all year.”

BU got on the board far quicker in the nightcap, with a bases-loaded HBP and an error putting the squad up 2-0 through two frames. The ball finally left the yard for the only time in the day in the fifth, as freshman infielder Rachel Carey hit one deep to left field to score three runs and go up 5-0. While Albany leveraged an error to bring a Great Dane home in the fifth, it was 6-1 after Carey netted her fourth RBI of the contest on a single.

However, this lead was far from safe in the seventh. After an efficient six frames, Kennedy started to lose control with a pair of walks while the defense fumbled a fielder’s choice to load up the bases. This would allow run number two for the Great Danes on a single, before two more went home on another single after a Bearcat error. After a RBI groundout made it a one-run ball game, Kennedy coaxed the final out to escape with a 6-5 victory.

“Defensively we have been better over the last few games,” Bump wrote. “I wouldn’t necessarily say our defense wasn’t solid on Friday, we just had a few things not go our way that we let snowball a little. But the defense and pitching locked in to get us the eventual wins.”

Friday’s sweep secured the best regular season overall win percentage and conference win percentage in program history at .733 and .889, respectively. This caps off a historic regular season where BU clinched its first sole AE regular season title since 2017.

Binghamton will welcome the field as it hosts the AE championship tournament starting Wednesday, May 7. The Bearcats possess a first-round bye, meaning they will play the winner of Bryant vs. UMass Lowell on Thursday, May 8 at 11 a.m. at the Bearcats Softball Complex in Vestal, New York.

“I think this year more than ever our home field is going to give us a huge advantage,” Bump wrote. “We have a lot of momentum, we are confident, and it sets the perfect stage to bring home a championship.”

“We were happy with how the weekend went especially because UMBC are our only losses in conference play,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “But I thought we put both sides of the ball together.”

Binghamton (31-12, 14-2 AE) quickly took a 2-0 lead in game one when sophomore infielder Elisa Allen blasted a two-run shot in the Bearcats’ third at bat and junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy kept the Bearcats in the lead with a scoreless first. After three Bearcat strikeouts in the top of the second, Kennedy turned out a one-two-three to maintain the BU lead. Colgate (18-30, 6-9 Patriot) saw its first score in the bottom of the third, while threatening to plate more after loading the bases, but Kennedy retired the final Colgate hitter.

Both squads were scoreless through the fourth inning, but the fifth inning saw Binghamton grow its lead when Allen slammed a three-run home run, bringing home graduate student utility Lindsey Walter and graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos.

Both teams failed to score again until the top of the seventh, when a solo shot by junior catcher Emma Lawson grew the Bearcats’ lead to 6-1. A scoreless outing from Kennedy in the bottom of the seventh saw BU claim the game one victory.

“[Allen] is having a great season but more recently she is just continuing to build confidence,” Bump wrote. “She’s a pure hitter but as time goes on she’s becoming an elite hitter.”

Binghamton continued to live by the home run in Tuesday’s nightcap, putting up 10 runs in the top of the first. An RBI double courtesy of Allen saw BU score its first run of the outing, and Lawson plated two off a home run in Binghamton’s next at-bat.

The Bearcats brought home four more runs in the first when Allen returned to the plate and blasted a three-run shot to make it a 10-0 ballgame. A Raiders’ round tripper in the bottom of the first saw them plate two, but a two-run home run from sophomore utility Maddy Dodig in the second made the game 12-2 for BU.

“We are still looking to be a bit better with runners in scoring position and gaining momentum when we have less than 2 outs,” Bump wrote. “Our defense also needs to be cleaned up but we know we are a great defensive team so it’s now just more of a focus.”

The Bearcats scored their 13th run in the top of the third, before a six-run fourth inning in which Allen, freshman pitcher Savanna McHale and freshman infielder Emilia Podeszwa each hit two-run homers, saw them take a 19-2 lead. An RBI from Allen saw the Bearcats move to 20 runs scored in game two, before sophomore pitcher/utility Sami Levine brought home Santos for Binghamton’s final score of the night.

Sophomore pitcher/utility Delaney Glover pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the fifth as Binghamton’s seven home run performance in the nightcap set a single-game program record. Allen’s seven RBI performance in game two tied another record as she moved to 55 RBIs on the season, breaking the Binghamton single-season program record.

“We are looking to maintain momentum,” Bump wrote. “We know that winning a championship is hard, but this team is different and we feel as though we have put ourselves into a good position to win.”

The Bearcats’ seven home run performance in Tuesday’s nightcap set a program record for home runs in a game. BU will play its final series of the regular season when it takes on Albany in a three-game series, and the first pitch is scheduled for Friday, May 2 at 2 p.m. at the UAlbany field in Albany, New York.

“I was really happy with how we bounced back today,” said head coach Jess Bump on the Binghamton Softball X account. “Even though we won both games yesterday, I thought we were a little sloppy in game two. I thought [Roberts] came out and threw a great game for us, had more strikeouts than yesterday, missed a lot of barrels. I just felt like our defense was way more focused today.”

Roberts got to work quickly in game one, striking out a pair of UMBC (17-26, 11-7 AE) batters in the first and returning a scoreless second, allowing sophomore infielder Elisa Allen to put BU (29-12, 14-2 AE) up 1-0 in the second with a solo shot. After Roberts again held the Retrievers scoreless in the third with a pair of punchouts to close the frame, junior catcher Emma Lawson plated BU’s second run of the contest with a single.

Allen cleared herself and the two Bearcats on base with her second homer of the contest, going up 5-0 to end the third. It was smooth sailing for BU the rest of the way, with Roberts only allowing a single Retriever to reach home in the sixth as she finished the complete game win with 10 Ks.

“[Roberts] has that mentality, she’s just going after them all the time, and I think she’s got something to prove,” Bump said. “She’s been injured a little bit the last two seasons and this is her first season fully healthy. She’s only lost two games this year and I think she’s just really bearing down for us, and she’s getting better as games go on.”

Binghamton’s bats stayed hot in the nightcap on Saturday, with freshman infielder Rachel Carey and junior outfielder Bella Farina plating three runs in the first off a double and a single to go up 3-0. Carey hit another single to bring in BU’s fourth run in the third before Lawson made it 5-0 BU after capitalizing on an error.

The Bearcats kept up the momentum in the fourth, with Allen mashing her third homer of the day to plate two runs before Lawson leveraged another error to reach home and make it 8-0. This marked Allen’s Binghamton record-breaking 18th blast of the year. While UMBC mounted a six-run rally in the fifth and sixth frames with a small-ball approach, freshman pitcher Savanna McHale slammed the door on the comeback attempt in the seventh to net the 8-6 win.

“[Graduate student utility Lindsey Walter has] been here for five [years], [senior outfielder Sarah Rende] for four, [graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos] for three,” Bump said. “And they’ve been extremely, extremely great leaders, been starters for us throughout their whole time and they’ve just done a great job leading our team, and they’re great people off the field too. I think for me, as a coach, that’s what matters most.”

In the series finale on Sunday, Roberts took the mound again and turned in a dominant outing. The southpaw registered three punchouts across the first two frames to keep the Retrievers at 0, and Rende rewarded her in the bottom of the second with run support in the form of a two-run homer.

While Roberts surrendered a solo shot in the third, UMBC didn’t reach home again. Sophomore utility Maddy Dodig and Rende plated three more insurance runs in the fifth to make it 5-1, and a 1-2-3 seventh that featured her 12th strikeout of the game and 22nd of the weekend, giving Roberts her 16th victory of the campaign.

“I think it shows all the preparation and hard work we’ve done since August,” Bump said. “We tied the regular season last year. Tournament setting is different, a little bit more pressure, but I think we’re a different team this year — they have a lot more confidence. Hopefully, next weekend at Albany, we can continue to gain some momentum right into the tournament.”

With Sunday’s victory, BU clinched the AE regular season title and will hold a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Their next series is a doubleheader against Colgate University, and first pitch is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, at 2 p.m. at the Easton Street Softball Complex in Hamilton, New York.

“I think our offense is really rolling right now, and the girls are feeling really confident,” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump.

“I was really happy with how our pitchers kind of bounced back this weekend,” she added. “I just think this team’s gonna be tough to beat if we keep everything rolling.”

With a series-opening doubleheader on Friday afternoon, Bryant (11-21, 3-6 AE) took an early game-one lead with a two-run home run in the top of the first. Binghamton (20-11, 6-2 AE) responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, and sophomore utility Maddy Dodig knotted the game in the second with an RBI single. Dodig would continue to do damage at the dish by blasting a two-run homer in the fourth, giving Binghamton a 4-2 lead. The bottom of the fifth then opened with an RBI single, followed by a grand slam by senior outfielder Sarah Rende that put the game out of the Bulldogs’ reach.

Binghamton managed to put up one more run in the sixth inning before the close of the game, cementing a final score of 10-2. After the shaky start, Roberts settled in and put up a career-high 13 strikeouts in the game to earn her 10th win on the year.

“Giving up a home run early, it’s not the best, but I knew my team had my back, and I knew they were gonna come back with some runs because they’ve been hitting amazing all season,” Roberts said.

Game two soon followed, and it proved a much closer contest. Freshman infielder Rachel Carey sent out a solo bomb in the second frame to give BU the lead, but Bryant responded with four runs plated across the third and top of the fourth. A sac fly from Rende then opened up a breakout fourth inning that saw BU leverage a two-RBI double from graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos and a Bryant error to go up 6-4, with Carey homering again in the fifth for insurance.

Bryant would put up two more runs in the sixth inning, but Binghamton answered with one of its own before a scoreless seventh from freshman pitcher Savanna McHale left the final score 8-6.

“I think this group’s pretty resilient and tough,” Bump said. “Even that UMBC game we lost, we were down five runs, and we came back.

“So hopefully as the season goes on, you’re gonna continue to see good stuff from us,” she added.

The series finale was held on Saturday afternoon, and BU began its bid for the sweep, taking an early up 2-0 courtesy of a two-RBI single from junior catcher Emma Lawson in the first. Binghamton continued to apply offensive pressure, hitting three home runs in the third and fourth off the bats of sophomore infielder Elisa Allen, Lawson and junior outfielder Bella Farina. The three Bearcats combined for seven RBIs, while Roberts spun a shutout that saw just three Bulldogs reach base en route to a 9-0 mercy rule victory to complete the sweep.

“You’re gonna continue to see home runs from this team,” Bump said. “I think we’re at 39 right now with still a lot of games left still, and we keep that in our back pocket. Our girls are feeling really good offensively right now, and I think that’s making our pitchers and defense really good as well.”

Binghamton next takes the field against Le Moyne in a makeup doubleheader on the road. First pitch is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9 at 3 p.m., at the Softball Complex in Syracuse, New York.

“We played tough all weekend,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “Scored early, went down, came back. The offense was tough and got us back into games. As we move on throughout conference play we need to clean up the defense especially in times under pressure.”

Binghamton (17-11, 3-2 AE) got the scoring started early in game one, plating their way to a 4-0 lead with runs off a pair of sacrifice flies and triples in the first two frames. From there, however, UMBC (10-21, 4-2 AE) began to key into junior pitcher Brianna Roberts. A solo bomb in the fourth put UMBC on the board before an RBI single and a grand slam in the fifth gave UMBC a 6-4 edge.

Undeterred, graduate student utility Lindsey Walter knotted the game with a two-RBI double at the top of the sixth before retiring the side to end the frame in relief of Roberts and escaping a two-runner on jam in the seventh to send it to extras. BU made the eighth frame count, as sophomore infielder Elisa Allen homered to open the frame, followed by a pair of RBI singles for insurance to give BU a 9-6 edge. Walter then forced a game-ending popout to leave three Retrievers on and cement a series-opening victory for Binghamton.

“E was in attack mode all weekend and was seeing the ball well,” Bump wrote of Allen. “She’s a natural, powerful hitter and can do big things when she’s locked in.”

The Bearcats’ bats stayed hot to open game two, with junior catcher Emma Lawson launching BU’s second homer of the series to go up 1-0, but the Retrievers leveraged a Binghamton error to plate the tying run at the bottom of the first, making it a 1-1 ballgame. Binghamton snapped the tie with Allen’s second homer of the day, but an RBI single from the Retrievers in the third again deadlocked the game. Junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy held the Retrievers scoreless for the next four frames to send the game to extras, but BU failed to respond as six Bearcats were left stranded through the top of the eighth. Instead, UMBC handed Kennedy the loss on an RBI single through the gap that gave the hosts the 3-2 win.

“We need to clean up the defense behind our pitchers to take the pressure off of them,” Bump wrote. “But I do think all of our pitchers could do a better job missing barrels once we are ahead in the count.”

With the series on the line Sunday, Allen sent out a two-run blast — her third in two days — and freshman infielder Rachel Carey homered off of the next pitch to open the game up 3-0 for BU. The Retrievers responded in the bottom of the first with a three-run bomb to tie, but an RBI single from senior outfielder Sarah Rende before being driven in herself in the second made it 5-3 for BU. After two scoreless frames, UMBC’s power surge continued in the fifth with a grand slam and a two-run bomb to go up 9-5, but a five-run rally in the sixth led by solo homers from junior outfielder Bella Farina and Rende put BU right back up 10-9. In the end, after a silent top of the seventh from BU, a pair of Bearcat errors allowed the Retrievers to walk off the game on the base paths and clinch the series 11-10.

“All in all this was a tough weekend to go home without a series win, but we know we are a tough team to beat when all three aspects are working well,” Bump wrote. “We will get back to work and keep grinding.”

BU will next pause its AE slate for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 1 versus Le Moyne. The first pitch of game one is set for 3 p.m. at Le Moyne Softball Complex in Syracuse, New York.

“Obviously, a good home opener,” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “First day at home we had a great crowd, even though it was a little chilly today, but today is what we’ve been working for for a long time. So I’m happy the girls came out and played pretty good softball.”

Binghamton (16-9, 2-0 AE) opened the doubleheader with freshman infielder Rachel Carey finding the gap to plate two Bearcats with a single, but Albany (7-15, 0-2 AE) answered in the bottom of the first with a game-tying two-run homer. After the Great Danes took the lead with an RBI single in the top of the third, Carey responded with the hosts’ first home run of the day to dead center before sophomore infielder Elisa Allen plated the tie-breaking run on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3.

After another game-tying RBI single by the visitors, the Bearcats would pull away in the bottom of the fourth. Graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos retook the lead with a triple and advanced on error to make it 6-4, with the board soon reading 9-4 after additional RBI hits. The dagger then came from sophomore utility Maddy Dodig, who blasted out a three-run homer of the game to clear the bases and make it 12-4. After a clean fifth from junior pitcher Brianna Roberts, BU secured a mercy rule in game one.

“We’ve been doing a good job offensively all year, but we just haven’t put a lot of stuff together,” Bump said. “So we’ve been hitting the ball hard the last few weeks, but we just kind of told them, ‘We got to stick with the process … eventually it’ll come.’ So I was really happy with the results today.”

Junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy got the ball in game two, and quickly got to work painting the corners to open play with a three-strikeout first frame. The Bearcat bats then picked up where they left off as junior catcher Emma Lawson smacked a fastball out of the park to make it 1-0. Following two more punch outs from Kennedy to open the second, Santos sent Allen home on a single bobbled by the Albany infield to make it 2-0 before a triple and a line drive single drove in three more runs to make it 5-0.

“When you’re playing better teams, you just have to eliminate extra opportunities,” Bump said. “I thought they did a great job just commanding the zone and getting ahead early. So I think that’s why you saw those results from the mound today.”

After a triple down the foul line at the top of the third plated Albany’s first run, senior outfielder Sarah Rende worked the count and sent one to left field for the game’s second Bearcat bomb to make it 6-1. Some small ball then allowed junior infielder Rebecca Minnichbach to plate two more Bearcats with a bunt, before Lawson blasted her second home run of the day, this time a three run bomb, to put BU up 10-1 at the frame’s end.

Dodig added an insurance three run homer herself in the fourth, before sophomore pitcher/utility Sami Levine pinch-hit BU’s 14th run of the game with a blast to center field. Kennedy closed out the fifth with a whiff to earn her eighth strikeout and secure a 14-2 mercy rule win to net the sweep for Binghamton.

“We knew coming into it, it was going to be a tough game,” Lawson said. “We saw that in the first game, going back and forth, and we just are taking it one game at a time, and we know we’re not done yet. This is only the beginning, and we’re working for a conference championship.”

Binghamton will look to stay hot next weekend as they pay a visit to UMBC for a three-game set, opening play on Saturday, March 29. The first pitch of game one is set for noon at The Diamond at UMBC in Baltimore, Maryland.

“We were excited to get down to Georgia and get a 3 game series in before we start conference play next weekend,” Bump wrote. “The dynamic of 3 is definitely different than 5, so we wanted to see from all sides of the ball what the girls were going to bring and how our pitchers would do with 2 less games.”

Binghamton (14-9) and Mercer (15-14) opened Friday’s doubleheader in a dead heat. Junior pitcher Brianna Roberts got the ball for Binghamton and opened the game with three scoreless frames, but Mercer met the challenge by retiring the first 12 Bearcats they faced. The Bears plated the game’s first run off an error in the bottom of the fourth, but Binghamton responded just one inning later. At the top of the fifth, the Bearcats made their two lone hits of the game as freshman infielder Rachel Carey and senior outfielder Sarah Rende blasted a pair of home runs to make it 2-1.

This would be all the run support Roberts needed, as despite struggling with her command to the tune of six total walks and loading the bases in the seventh, the southpaw coaxed the necessary outs to earn the complete-game victory.

“The hit column doesn’t show our offensive production from game one,” Bump wrote. “We hit the ball really hard all game, just right [at] people so had nothing to show for it. But we were happy with how the girls stuck with it and scratched across runs.”

The backend of the doubleheader saw the Bears quickly jump ahead in the first, peppering junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy with a trio of singles that would send in two runners to go up 2-0. This set the tone for the contest — Mercer smacked 10 singles in the game to give Kennedy a 2.17 WHIP on the day, with not a single Bears’ hit going for extra bases. While junior catcher Emma Lawson responded with an RBI single of her own in the third inning, Mercer bopped a third RBI single in the fifth to go up 3-1. BU failed to find any more runs, with six straight outs across the final two frames cementing the defeat and evening out the series heading into Saturday.

“In general, from a pitching side we need to limit walks, and our defense needs to make outs, outs,” Bump wrote. “We didn’t get anything going offensively but our pitchers should be comfortable giving up 3 runs and knowing our offense is good enough to score more.”

With the series on the line Saturday, the Bears continued to leverage weak contact and errors by the Bearcats to plate two runs in the third and one in the fourth to go up 3-0. However, the Bearcats capitalized on singles and Mercer miscues to load the bases in the fifth. Lawson and Rende used this opportunity to notch a pair of singles that drove in three Bearcats and tied the ballgame. The decisive blow then came from sophomore infielder Elisa Allen, who smacked a grand slam to take a 7-3 lead. A two-RBI double from Carey in the sixth and an RBI single from graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos in the seventh gave Binghamton the insurance it needed to clinch the series with a 10-5 victory.

Saturday’s victory marked Bump’s 100th as BU’s skipper.

“100 is just a number,” Bump wrote. “But when I think about it I’ve been surrounded by great players and staff for 3 and a half years and [a lot] of hard work has been put in on and off the field by everyone involved.”

The Bearcats now set their sights on their home and America East opening series as they welcome Albany next weekend. The series opens Saturday, March 22, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“It was a great weekend of gritty wins,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “All were close games and we were happy to be faced with some adversity and fight back.”

Binghamton (10-5) started its tournament strong on Friday, with two wins over Butler (11-5) and Bellarmine (4-7). The Bearcats took advantage of defensive miscues by Butler, scoring their first run on a triple steal and two insurance runs on two Butler errors. While Butler tacked on two runs of their own in the seventh inning, BU held on to win 3-2 as junior pitcher Brianna Roberts pitched all seven innings, allowing just six hits and striking out seven.

Binghamton parlayed the win into momentum for their second game against Bellarmine. The Bearcats struck hard early, scoring three runs in the first including a sacrifice flyout by junior catcher Emma Lawson. The Knights plated one run in the fourth, but the game ended in a 3-1 Binghamton victory. Junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy pitched all seven innings for the Bearcats, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four.

The second day of the tournament began with Binghamton facing off against Bethune-Cookman (6-16). The Bearcats’ contest against the Wildcats turned out to be a pitchers’ duel, with the game going scoreless into the fifth. Binghamton was the one to break the ice, scoring once in the fifth off a Wildcat error and once in the seventh off of an RBI single by graduate student utility player Lindsey Walter. Bethune-Cookman was unable to muster any offense, and the game ended in a 2-0 Binghamton victory. Roberts spun a complete game shutout for the Bearcats, allowing four hits and striking out seven.

Binghamton’s rematch against Bellarmine to close day two played out completely different from their first matchup. The Knights blasted solo home runs in the first and second innings to take an early 2-0 lead, handing the Bearcats their first deficit of the weekend. Binghamton quickly struck back, with Lawson driving a run via an RBI groundout and freshman infielder Rachel Carey launching a two-run homer in the third to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead — a score that held for the rest of the game.

Binghamton’s final game was a Sunday morning rematch against Butler. The game turned into a shootout, and the Bulldogs opened the scoring in the third with a two-run homer. The Bearcats responded in the fourth and the fifth, with sophomore infielder Elisa Allen hitting a three-run homer and Lawson launching a two-run homer to put Binghamton on top 5-2. Butler responded in their half of the sixth, tying the game at five, but the Bearcats had the last laugh as Allen launched another two-run homer in the eighth, giving the Bearcats a 7-5 win and tournament sweep.

“[Roberts] had an unbelievable weekend and really took her intensity to a new level in some tough situations,” Bump wrote. “Our offense is coming along, and it was good to see some good at-bats and two out RBIs under pressure.”

The Bearcats ended the tournament 5-0 with a run differential of plus eight. As a team, Binghamton pitched to a team ERA of 2.25 while hitting a combined .240 over the weekend.

The Bearcats will be back in action next weekend at the James Madison Invitational, with their first matchup against Fordham on Friday, March 7. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Bearcats first faced UTC (2-3) on Friday, losing by just one run. After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first, graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos led off the bottom of the first against the Mocs with a triple, later scoring on a steal attempt. Trailing by three in the bottom of the sixth, junior first baseman Emma Lawson torched a double, and sophomore infielder Elisa Allen socked the Bearcats’ first homer of the season to trim the deficit to one. Both squads were held scoreless in the 7th, as the Bearcats fell 4-3.

Later that day, the Bearcats took on Stetson (5-0). One run proved enough for the Stetson offense that afternoon, as they shut out the Bearcats as part of their 14-inning scoreless streak to start the tournament. Sophomore pitcher Delaney Glover and junior pitcher Olivia Kennedy combined for seven excellent innings on the mound, with assists from the gloves of Santos and graduate student outfielder Lindsey Walter. The game was scoreless for four innings before the Stetson offense broke through in the top of the fifth on an RBI single, as BU lost its second match 1-0.

Lawson, who went 3-for-6 with a double on Friday, continued her tear into Saturday. She drove in two runs on an RBI single for the Bearcats in the opening frame against FDU (0-5). Those two runs made all the difference, as the Bearcats pitching staff held on to a one-run lead to edge out FDU 2-1. Junior pitcher Brianna Roberts threw four innings, collecting six strikeouts. Walter pitched three innings in relief, allowing zero runs and collecting her first save of the season.

The Bearcats finished the day with a rout against UTC, scoring nine runs and reaching base at over a 50 percent clip. Six of the nine hits went for extra bases, including two doubles from Lawson and another homer from Allen. The duo accounted for eight of BU’s runs on Saturday alone. Kennedy twirled a five-inning complete game, fanning five and allowing one run.

“It was good to bounce back and get two wins today,” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “UTC is an NCAA regional team from last year that beat many good teams last year. It was great to see a good offensive breakout game, with both solid defense and a good pitching performance on the other side of the ball.”

The bats came alive again in the final game of the tournament on Sunday, as BU defeated FDU once more in a 6-1 victory. Glover tossed five scoreless innings and struck out three on the way to earning the win. Senior outfielder Sarah Rende was walked a career-high three times and socked a double in her only official trip to the plate. Lawson and Santos collected two more RBIs apiece, finishing the tournament first and second on the team in OPS. Santos hit safely in every game of the tournament, while Lawson slugged four doubles and notched a team-leading seven RBIs.

“It’s always good to fly home on Sunday with a win,” Bump said. “We got better as the weekend went on and worked through some first-weekend jitters. Our pitching kept us in every game, our defense was incredible for the first time being outside and our offense got some momentum.”

On the pitching side, the Bearcats threw to the tune of a 1.69 ERA and 20 strikeouts throughout the tournament. Binghamton hitters slugged 13 extra-base hits led by Allen’s pair of home runs.

Binghamton will return back south next weekend for the Florida Tournament, opening things up against Boston College on Friday, Feb. 14. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. at the Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.

The Bearcats built up plenty of momentum heading into last year’s AE tournament, going 32-18 overall and 14-6 in conference play to secure a share of the regular season title. Slotted second in the bracket and with a first-round bye, Binghamton was immediately tested by sixth-seeded Maine. Still the Bearcats rose off the back of a three-run fourth frame and seven frames of two-run ball from junior pitcher Brianna Roberts to escape with a 3-2 victory.

After falling short in the winner’s bracket semifinals against top seeded Albany, Binghamton squared off against fifth-seeded UMass Lowell with its season and a shot at an AE title game appearance on the line. Both squads engaged in a pitcher’s duel, going into the 9th at a 1-1 deadlock before a game clinching run was scored by the River Hawks that Binghamton failed to answer. With the 2-1 defeat, Binghamton’s season came to a close.

In her fourth full year at the helm of Bearcat softball, Binghamton head coach Jess Bump looks to continue one of the best stretches of play for the program in its history. While it may be difficult to replace the production of the graduated AE player of the year Allison L’Amoreaux, Bump still leads a roster that has been voted second with two first-place votes in the AE Preseason Coaches Poll.

Many of these preseason expectations are tied to Binghamton rostering a tied-for-league-best five preseason all conference team selections. Headlining the bats for BU is two-time all-conference team member, graduate student outfielder Brianna Santos who led the AE in doubles last year with 17 while leading the squad with 51 hits. Last year’s AE ERA leader at 2.17 across 96 innings of ball, Roberts will look to take up the mantle of Binghamton’s workhorse ace left by L’Amoreaux. Also earning preseason all conference honors were graduate student utility Lindsey Walter, sophomore infielder Elisa Allen and junior catcher Emma Lawson.

Binghamton will head for warmer weather to open its campaign, with an appearance at the Stetson Tournament set for the second weekend of February. BU opens the tournament against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Friday, Feb. 7 with first pitch set for noon at the Patricia Wilson Field in Deland, Florida.

Seeded as co-America East (AE) regular season champions for the first time in program history, the Binghamton softball team went 1-2 at the conference softball championship across two days of play in Orono, Maine. After taking care of business against Maine in short order on Thursday, BU failed to gain offensive momentum on the second day against Albany and UMass Lowell, resulting in a third-place finish overall.

“Obviously we were prepared to go up there and compete,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We didn’t play our best softball when it mattered most and still hung in and made every game tight.”

Following a bye in the first round, No. 2 Binghamton (34-18, 15-8 AE) slotted up against tournament hosts No. 6 Maine (5-41, 2-21 AE) to begin its tournament run. The game quickly became a pitcher’s duel, with sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts holding Maine scoreless through the first three frames while Binghamton’s batters failed to plate a run against Maine’s hurler. Although it was Roberts who folded first, allowing a two-run shot in the top of the fourth, the Bearcats responded in short order during their turn of the fourth as sophomore catcher Emma Lawson smashed a two-run home run of her own into left field to tie it before sophomore outfielder Bella Farina batted in one more run with a double to make it a 3-2 ball game. Roberts wouldn’t give up another score the rest of the way, as Binghamton secured the victory to advance in the winner’s bracket.

“We have been fighters all year and played from behind a lot,” Bump wrote. “So it wasn’t a surprise when we answered back with runs.”

To open up action on day two, the Bearcats matched up against No. 1 Albany (33-14, 17-6 AE) for a berth in the championship game. Lawson got back to work on the plate for BU, plating a run off of a single in the top of the first to give BU the lead. However, this would be the only time Binghamton held the lead in the contest. The Great Danes figured out Binghamton’s pitching in the bottom of the second and took the opportunity to go on a 6-0 run for the next two frames to jump to a 6-1 lead. Although BU would keep fighting, getting 10 more baserunners and plating two more runs in the fourth and seventh, it was not enough to avoid the 6-3 loss as they were sent to the loser’s bracket.

“Albany is a great team, and we had some really good at bats throughout the game and hit the ball hard,” Bump wrote. “[We] just didn’t execute when we needed to and gave them way too many extra opportunities.”

With the season on the line, Binghamton faced off against No. 5 UMass Lowell (17-29, 10-12 AE) for its final game on Friday. Once more, Binghamton would set the pace early in the matchup — this time with the River Hawks surrendering a walk with the bases loaded to make it 1-0. From there the game seemed to break into a pitchers duel between the Bearcats and UMass Lowell with senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux on the mound. Yet Binghamton’s ace wouldn’t go deep into this one, being pulled after two frames, and the River Hawks capitalized in the third with an RBI single to tie it. The game was locked in a dead heat from there, but despite having runners on base in the fifth, sixth and eighth frames as the game went into extras, BU couldn’t seal the deal and walk off the game. Instead, the River Hawks plated the game-winning run in the ninth before recording a runner-less bottom of the frame to upset BU and end the Bearcats’ season.

“We caught [the River Hawks] on a buzzsaw and we didn’t do a good job making adjustments,” Bump wrote. “We made some great defensive plays to keep the game tight but couldn’t catch any momentum.”

This year’s AE tournament wrapped up a historic season for BU. Alongside its share of the AE regular season title, L’Amoreaux was named the AE player of the year and Bump earned AE coach of the year honors. The awards continued to pile in for the senior pitcher, as L’Amoreaux was named to her first National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s All-Mid Atlantic first team. With a strong core of seniors graduating, Bump stressed that there is still work to be done for Binghamton softball.

“We made a lot of great strides this year and accomplished a lot,” Bump wrote. “This senior class left the program better than they found it and we will continue to check goals off the list year after year.”

“It’s obviously huge [sweeping Bryant],” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “The conference is super tight this year, between [teams ranked] one and three it’s just a game or two [gap]. We knew these games were going to be really important. I was really proud of how [the team] locked in. I don’t think it matters who we’re playing right now — we’re playing our game and doing what we gotta do.”

Bryant (30-14, 12-6 AE) started the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader with a two-run home run before the Bearcats (31-14, 13-4 AE) responded with a five-run second via a two-run home run from graduate student infielder Alex Musial and RBI doubles from redshirt junior outfielder Brianna Santos and senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux. Senior utility Shelby Carvalho concluded the inning with an RBI single to give Binghamton a 5-3 lead. The Bearcats added two more runs in the sixth with home runs from junior outfielder Sarah Rende and L’Amoreaux for a 7-3 win.

“We worked really hard the last two weeks offensively,” Bump said. “[Binghamton assistant coach Michaela Transue] has done a great job with our hitters — she has them locked in. [Players] are coaching each other and talking to each other throughout the game. As coaches, that’s all we can really ask for.”

Game two was postponed to 6 p.m. Saturday, but the Bearcats wasted no time getting on the board after putting up four runs driven in by L’Amoreaux, Carvalho and sophomore outfielder Bella Farina in the first two innings. Driving rains briefly hit Vestal, postponing the game again before the Bearcats added four runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-0 lead. The game was called after sophomore pitcher Olivia Kennedy struck out Bryant’s last two hitters in the fifth. Overall, Kennedy threw a five-inning shutout with seven strikeouts, zero walks and only three hits surrendered.

“Our team has a lot of fun and we continue to use that to our advantage, even when we’re down,” Bump said. “I think we’re playing super relaxed right now and we know that’s how we play our best. [Kennedy] threw a gem [in game two]. Our pitchers feel confident because our offense is going right now.”

In the weekend finale Sunday morning, the Bearcats opened up with a five-run first before Bryant added a combined seven runs in the ensuing three innings to take a 7-5 lead. An RBI off the bat of Santos in the fourth brought the game to 7-6 heading into the seventh. Then, down to their last out in the final inning, Farina drove in the tying run to force extra innings. After L’Amoreaux shut the Bulldogs down in the top of the eighth, she walked the game off with a two-out RBI double to secure a weekend sweep for the Bearcats.

“Excuse my expression, but [L’Amoreaux] is a dawg,” Bump said. “She’s going to go out there and win a game. She just threw a great seven innings, including five innings without giving up a run towards the end and then she walked it off for us at the end. [As a team] we know that if we get down we just gotta continue to chip away and get runs in bunches.”

On the weekend, L’Amoreaux collected seven hits, drove in four runs and added 14 innings on the mound with 10 strikeouts to take home two wins for the series. Carvalho collected five hits while driving in seven runs, including a three-run home run in Sunday’s win. The series win put Binghamton in first place in the AE while Bryant fell to second.

“[I’m] super proud of [Carvalho], she’s worked really hard the last two weeks and she had some great at-bats this weekend,” Bump said. “We’re not going to change anything, we’re taking it one pitch at a time and we want to take that mentality into the tournament.”

The Bearcats host UMass Lowell next weekend in its series of conference play before the America East tournament kicks off Saturday, May 8. The first pitch of the first game is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, May 3 at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

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.

The Binghamton women’s softball team continued their America East (AE) conference play, sweeping Maine in a three-game set this past week. Then, on Wednesday, the Bearcats took on UMass Lowell in a doubleheader, winning both games.

”It was a long weekend trying to beat the weather,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “I was happy with how the girls stayed focused during an abnormal schedule of playing Sunday [and] Monday.”

On Sunday, BU’s (27-10, 9-2 AE) first game against Maine (3-29, 1-11 AE) saw a pitcher’s duel. Binghamton put two runs on the board in the first inning, courtesy of a two-RBI double from sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts. Roberts then shut the Black Bears down on the mound for the rest of the game, spinning a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts as Binghamton won 2-0.

“[Roberts] has been locked in and in attack mode on both sides of the ball,” Bump wrote. “She is a confident player and has an extra heat that she gets into. We’ve been very happy with how she’s playing, and I love seeing her compete.”

In the second game of the series, Maine struck first with three runs in the top of the third. Binghamton came right back in the bottom of the inning, exploding for seven runs off of five hits. The Bearcats tacked on two runs in the fourth and three runs in the sixth, while holding the Black Bears to just two more runs the rest of the way. Binghamton would go on to win 12-5.

“We are definitely a team that rides on momentum,” Bump wrote. “We can have big innings at any point in the game, and after we scored we relaxed a little and finished the game strong.”

The series finale saw a low-scoring affair, as the Bearcats completed the sweep with a 3-0 victory. Senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux went the distance, shutting the Black Bears out once again. She gave up just three hits and struck out 10 in seven innings of work. BU’s offense came in the third inning when L’Amoreaux also mashed a two-run home run to go along with her sparkling performance on the mound, and freshman utility Maddy Dodig tacked on an RBI single.

“[L’Amoreaux] is riding high right now and truly just having fun finishing up her career,” Bump wrote. “She’s an electric player to watch and has a great presence right now on both sides of the ball.”

On Wednesday, BU traveled to UMass Lowell to take on the River Hawks in a doubleheader. Neither team accomplished much in the first two innings, but the Bearcats got on the scoreboard in the top of the third with a grand slam from L’Amoreaux. Despite a late comeback by the River Hawks in the seventh — where they plated two — Binghamton held on for a 4-2 victory.

“We just told the girls to go out there and lock in the game,” Bump wrote. “[UMass Lowell] had the two-run home run with two outs, but we responded well and induced a groundout to close it out.”

To start the second game of the doubleheader, UMass Lowell opened up the scoring with a run in the first inning. After the next four innings remained scoreless, BU plated three runs in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. The River Hawks would respond in the bottom of the sixth with two runs, evening the score at 3-3.

“We put the ball in play harder and made them make a few mistakes,” Bump wrote. “Lowell tied the game and then [senior utility Shelby Carvalho] had the big blow and then [sophomore pitcher Olivia Kennedy] finished the game strong in the seventh.”

Carvalho gave the Bearcats a one-run lead with a solo home run in the seventh inning. Kennedy held the River Hawks scoreless in the bottom of the inning to secure the 4-3 victory for Binghamton. With the win, Binghamton extended its winning streak to 12 games.

“We are a tough team to play right now,” Bump wrote. “Our depth is overly impressive and the girls are competing and supporting each other like we never have before. It’s been fun to watch from a coach’s perspective and I’m excited to see how we finish off this last half of conference play.”

The Bearcats will travel to UAlbany for a three-game series starting on Saturday, April 20. First pitch is at a time to be decided at UAlbany Field in Albany, New York.

After not playing last week due to a string of rainouts, the Binghamton women’s softball team picked up where they left off Tuesday evening by sweeping St. Bonaventure in a doubleheader. BU dominated both games, defeating the Bonnies 10-1 and 9-1, respectively. As a team, the Bearcats’ offense batted .380 while the pitching staff tossed 14 strikeouts across both games.

“We have been playing really well and have some great momentum right now,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “I was happy that we were able to continue that yesterday, and gave us some confidence going into this weekend against Maine.”

Game one began at a standstill, with neither Binghamton (22-10, 4-2 America East [AE]) nor St. Bonaventure (2-25) scoring through the opening two frames. Binghamton only managed one hit during this opening stretch, a single from freshman infielder Elisa Allen in the second inning. BU’s offense broke through in the bottom of the fourth — kick started by redshirt junior infielder Gabby Guerrero connecting for a triple down the right field line. Then, a single from redshirt junior outfielder Brianna Santos drove in Guerrero and made it a 1-0 ballgame. BU then got two more runners on base after a second single from redshirt junior designated hitter Lindsey Walter, before Allen cleared the bases with a three-run home run to put Binghamton up 4-0 at the end of the frame.

“Our whole pitching staff has had great outings, and they are building confidence,” Bump wrote. “Our defense has been locked down, which lets our pitchers throw relaxed and not feel like they have to be perfect. And you’re seeing their success come from their looseness and knowing that on the other side of the ball, our offense is hot and we will score runs.”

While the Bonnies responded with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, the scoreboard read 5-1 by the end of the inning after a Binghamton sacrifice bunt from Guerrero in the bottom of the frame. Not long after, in the sixth inning, a five-run outburst by the Bearcats solidified their win. This came after sophomore catcher Emma Lawson hit a single that drove in two runs to begin a sequence of five runs plated across the frame to trigger the mercy rule and end the game with a 10-1 win. Senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux went the distance on the mound, finishing with eight strikeouts while allowing just four hits all game.

“Our at-bats early on in the game were quality, [but] we just weren’t getting results,” Bump wrote. “We were really happy how the girls stayed focused and kept with it and eventually the results came.”

Binghamton maintained its momentum going into the second half of the doubleheader, yet again entering a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the second. After a walk plated Binghamton’s first run of the game, Lawson continued to maximize her at-bats with a two RBI single, which gave BU a 3-0 lead. A sac fly from sophomore outfielder Bella Farina and a fielder’s choice then made it 5-0 Bearcats through the fourth.

“A lot of our hitters had big days yesterday,” Bump wrote. “[Lawson] had a great day, and [she] stays really poised in tough situations. She is one of our mentally tough hitters and always wants to be the one to get the job done.”

After St. Bonaventure got on the board with a run in the top of the sixth inning, another RBI single from Lawson began a stretch of four more Binghamton runs — capped off by freshman utility Sami Levine’s first collegiate home run — brought an end to the second game via the mercy rule, completing the sweep with a 9-1 victory. Going the distance was sophomore pitcher Olivia Kennedy who added six strikeouts while allowing just one run.

“We had some big at bats with two outs with runners on, and those are the innings we need to continue to have in conference play,” Bump wrote.

The Bearcats will remain home to resume AE play, hosting Maine for a three-game series this coming weekend. First pitch for the first game is set for noon on Saturday, April 13 at the Bearcat Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

After dropping its weekend series against Bryant last weekend to open America East (AE) conference play, the Binghamton women’s softball team rebounded by sweeping Le Moyne in its home-opening doubleheader on Tuesday. In game one, seven innings of one hit ball from sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts spearheaded a 2-0 victory. Then in the second game, the Bearcats jumped out to an early lead to earn 13-3 victory and sweep the doubleheader.

“[Roberts] has been throwing well and gaining confidence every outing she has,” said Binghamton head coach Jessica Bump. “She has been having good games offensively, and it’s been helping with her confidence on the other side of the ball.”

The opening game started slowly as neither Binghamton (17-10, 1-2 AE) nor Le Moyne [6-20, 2-4 Northeast Conference (NEC)] got on the scoreboard across the first three innings. Both teams struggled to record hits and get on base, with the Bearcats’ offense hitting just .227 in game one. However, in the bottom of the fourth inning, the stalemate ended after sophomore outfielder Bella Farina hit a home run to give the Bearcats its first run of the game. Shortly after, Roberts hit an RBI triple and shortly after, she was brought home by freshman infielder Elisa Allen on a sacrifice fly.

“We were a little passive in game one,” Bump said. ”After the first game, we talked about going up to the plate with a lot of confidence.”

Binghamton’s defense in the outfield and pitching kept the Dolphins scoreless the rest of the way. At the mound, Roberts allowed only one hit in the game and just three runners reached base for Le Moyne. Roberts also struck out six, recording a complete game shutout and improving to 6-5 on the year. The opening game of the doubleheader ended with a 2-0 Binghamton victory.

“We were pressing in the first game, but I was happy with how we responded after that,” Bump said.

In game two, after Le Moyne nailed a homer to right field in the first inning, Binghamton responded by picking up the pace at the plate as it plated seven runs of its own during the bottom of the inning. Roberts and Farina started the flurry of scoring with a pair of RBI singles. Then, Allen added to their efforts by drilling a three-run home run to left field. Redshirt junior outfielder Brianna Santos capped off the scoring with an RBI single as BU took a 7-1 lead at the end of one frame.

“We’ve been talking about winning every inning and having each other’s backs,” Bump said. “After giving up a run in the first, they really responded well and got the momentum back.”

The Bearcats added three more runs in the second inning starting with an RBI double from senior first baseman Allison L’Amoreaux. Not long after, senior third baseman Shelby Carvalho hit a two-run double to make it a 10-1 game. The offense continued for BU in the third inning as Farina hit an RBI double to plate Santos and eventually was brought in by an RBI single courtesy of a single by Allen, which cemented a 12-2 Binghamton advantage. While Le Moyne etched a run in the fourth and fifth innings, freshman infielder Maddy Dodig scored the final for BU. The game concluded by mercy rule, with the Bearcats defeating the Dolphins in game two 13-3.

“The team made great adjustments in game two,” Bump said. “[The team was] attacking good pitches early on in their at-bats and getting good results because of it.”

The Bearcats will stay at home to resume AE play with series against UMBC. The first pitch of the first game is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, March 29 at the Bearcats Softball Complex in Vestal, New York.

The Binghamton women’s softball team opened America East (AE) conference play by taking one out of three games on the road against Bryant over the weekend. After getting shutout 4-0 in game one of Friday’s doubleheader, BU found its footing in game two to nab a 5-2 victory. While success at the plate continued into Sunday, success at the mound did not with the team dropping the rubber match 8-4.

“[AE] play is a new season, and even though we didn’t get the series win, we are going to continue to work hard and move forward,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “Bryant is a much-improved team with a good offense and it just wasn’t our weekend, but we aren’t worried one bit.”

Game one of Friday’s doubleheader opened at a standstill, with neither Binghamton (15-10, 1-2 AE) or Bryant (14-7, 2-1 AE) registering a run across the first three innings. While senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux held Bryant to just one hit in the opening stretch, Binghamton struggled to get on base all game long, as it hit .167 as a team in game one. Binghamton got its best scoring opportunity during the top of the fourth inning after stringing together two singles and a walk to load the bases. However, frame ended with the Binghamton runners stranded on base and the score still at 0-0. Bryant broke through with an RBI single in the fourth inning to take the lead and maintain after adding three insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to build a 4-0 advantage. The Bulldogs held the lead the rest of the way to secure a 4-0 victory over BU in game one.

“Our mentality at the plate needs to be better,” Bump wrote. “We didn’t have the best approach, and we’re taking ourselves out of at bats and didn’t capitalize on the opportunities we did have. Bryant was really good with [runners in scoring position] this weekend and executed under pressure.”

In BU’s second game on Friday, the visitors got the scoring started in the second inning as freshman utility Maddy Dodig hit an RBI single to left field that plated two runs. The following inning, BU extended the lead to 4-0 after capitalizing on an RBI single from sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts and a Bulldog error to bring two more Bearcats home. BU’s offensive momentum continued in the fifth when junior outfielder Sarah Rende mashed a home run to deep left that made the score 5-0. While Bryant added two runs of its own in the fifth inning, Roberts shut the Bulldogs’ offense down for the rest of the way to earn her fifth win of the season and knot up the series for BU at one game a piece.

“Our goal is always to win every inning,” Bump wrote. “We did a much better job [in] game two getting momentum and scoring throughout the game.”

In the series finale on Sunday, Bryant opened the scoring with two runs in the second inning. Binghamton responded in next frame with Roberts drilling a two RBI double to center field to knot things up. BU then took a 4-2 lead — courtesy of a second RBI double — this time from senior utility Shelby Carvalho. However, Bryant came right back with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead at 6-4. The Bulldogs added one run in the fourth and fifth innings while Binghamton was held scoreless the rest of the way and suffered an 8-4 loss.

“Our pitchers got hit the hardest they have all year for a few reasons,” Bump wrote. “Bryant is a free-swinging team and have a great presence and know they aren’t going to get beat. And our pitchers were doing a good job getting ahead early but weren’t executing our nibble pitches.”

The Bearcats’ stretch of 27 road games to open the season will conclude with a doubleheader against Le Moyne on Tuesday, March 26. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Le Moyne Softball Complex in Syracuse, New York.

“I was really happy with the weekend and how the girls showed up after a tough weekend at [James Madison University] last weekend,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We are an incredibly talented team, and all three facets clicked this weekend which is great to see as we head into America East (AE) play.”

Opening the tournament against Lehigh (10-13) on Saturday, BU (14-8) got off to a hot start off of an RBI single from sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts in the first and a home run to dead center courtesy of freshman utility Maddy Dodig to begin the second frame up 2-0. The offense continued in the second inning as a single by redshirt junior outfielder Brianna Santos plated two runners, making it 4-0 Bearcats. Lehigh knotted it at four in the third inning, but Binghamton went back up 6-4 in the fourth inning after a sac bunt followed by a second RBI single from Roberts. An eight spot in the top of the fifth from BU, capped off with a single by graduate student infielder Alex Musial that plated two runs, triggered the mercy rule and secured a 14-4 win for Binghamton.

“Our game against Lehigh was a great offensive showing for us,” Bump wrote. “We hit the ball hard right from the first inning and our outs were very productive. We got momentum and didn’t lose [it] which was something we have struggled with the last few weeks.”

Finishing the action Saturday against Cornell (2-12), the Bearcats quickly surrendered a run in the top of the first. However, the tides turned with a two-run home-run from senior utility Shelby Carvalho in the second inning, followed by two more homers in the third inning, courtesy of redshirt junior utility Lindsey Walter and senior first baseman Allison L’Amoreaux, which put the Bearcats up 4-1. BU added four more runs in the fifth to make it 9-1 and wrap up its second mercy rule win of the day. Leading Binghamton on the mound was Roberts, pitching all five innings with seven strikeouts and just one earned run while going 2-for-3 at the plate.

“[Roberts] didn’t have the best start against Cornell, but really made some great mechanics adjustments after the second inning and settled in nicely,” Bump wrote.

On Sunday, BU defeated Cornell once again, this time, in a 6-0 shutout. Throughout the first four innings, neither team brought a runner home, with sophomore pitcher Olivia Kennedy keeping the Bearcats in it on the mound. The game remained scoreless until the fifth inning when a sac fly from Dodig, followed by a two-run single from Santos gave BU a 3-0 lead. Padding their lead with three more runs in the fifth, the Bearcats stayed in front the rest of the way to secure the 6-0 win. Kennedy remained on the mound for the complete game shutout, recording six strikeouts while allowing just seven runners on base all game.

“We had great at-bats just weren’t necessarily getting the best outcomes,” Bump wrote. “But we hung tough, didn’t veer from our approach and our at-bats got better as the game went on.”

In its final game of the tournament, Binghamton faced off against the tournament hosts Penn State (20-6). The Nittany Lions came out of the gates hot to put up an 11 spot in the first inning. While BU responded with four runs of their own in the second, capitalizing on wild pitches and an RBI double from Santos, Penn State’s lead grew to a 12-4 advantage by the end of the second frame. In the end, Binghamton failed to mount a comeback, as BU suffered a 15-5 loss by mercy rule.

“They continue to have each others backs, and know that at any moment we are a team that is tough to take the field against,” Bump wrote. “We need to continue to see that … The [AE] schedule will be tough, but I am confident that we have prepared the right way and have great momentum going into it.”

The Bearcats will hit the road again next weekend to open AE conference play with a three-game set against Bryant. First pitch of the first game is set for noon on Saturday, March 23 at the Bryant University Softball Complex at Conaty Park in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

“It was a tough weekend for us, and we obviously didn’t play to our potential,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “Our first game against St. Joe’s, we played good softball on all fronts, but the other three games, some things didn’t go our way and we couldn’t seem to get any momentum.”

The Bearcats’ (11-7) first matchup was Friday morning against St. Joseph’s (6-12). After a scoreless first inning for both sides, in the second inning, junior outfielder Brianna Santos launched an RBI double into left. Then, junior utility player Lindsey Walter cleared the bases with a single, giving Binghamton a 3-0 lead. The Bearcats kept the pressure on through the middle innings, with senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux, plating senior catcher Hailey Ehlers in the fourth inning to make it 4-0.

While the Bearcats gave up one run via the longball in the bottom of the fourth, senior utility player Shelby Carvalho hit a two run home run in the fifth inning and a solo home run in the seventh inning to put Binghamton up comfortably 7-1. The Bearcats did not allow another run to secure their lone win of the tournament. Sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts went the distance, pitching seven innings and striking out six while allowing only one earned run on two hits.

“[Roberts] has been pitching really well and is gaining confidence every weekend,” Bump wrote. “She is trusting her pitches, her defense and has a good presence about her right now.”

Binghamton’s second game of the day, an afternoon matchup against tournament hosts JMU (15-7) was a different story. Almost immediately, the Bearcats found themselves behind, with the Dukes taking a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. It would be all downhill from there, as the Bearcats would give up seven more runs in the next three innings and score none of their own, losing 9-0 via run rule in only five innings.

“[JMU] is a very well-coached team, with gritty athletes who know how to win and don’t let up once they have momentum,” Bump wrote.

Binghamton’s second day of play on Sunday mirrored the first, with a game against St. Joseph in the morning and a game against JMU in the afternoon. BU took an early 2-0 lead against St. Joseph, courtesy of an RBI single by L’Amoreaux and an RBI double by freshman infielder Elisa Allen. However, Binghamton’s offense was held scoreless the rest of the way by the Hawks’ pitching while piecing together four runs of their own for a 4-2 victory.

The Bearcats faired no better in game two against JMU, as the Dukes jumped to a 4-0 lead after the third inning. Binghamton avoided a shutout, scoring in the fifth inning via a Roberts groundout RBI to make the score 4-1. However, JMU responded with five more runs, in the bottom of the inning to make the score 9-1 and trigger the run rule, ending the game.

“Our game against them on Sunday, I thought we did a good job limiting their offense, and [we] put ourselves into a few positions to score some runs and close the gap, but couldn’t seem to get anything going,” Bump wrote.

Binghamton ended the tournament with -13 run differential as a team. The pitching staff struck out 24 batters while giving up 22 earned runs. The Bearcats batted .258 as a team throughout the weekend.

“Our preseason has been good and we are still trying to put all the pieces together and figure out who we are,” Bump wrote. “I’ve been happy overall and the girls continue to work really hard. I think the biggest thing for us is just trying to gain some confidence going into conference play and trusting all the work we’ve put in as a group.”

Binghamton will be back in action next weekend at the Penn State Softball Invitational, starting on Saturday, March 16. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. against Lehigh at Nittany Lion Softball Park in State College, Pennsylvania.

Coming off a 4-1 record at the Frank Griffin Classic — it’s best start to a season since 2004 — the Binghamton softball team built on its success from last week at the Winthrop Eagle Classic in South Carolina as they finished the weekend with a 3-2 record. Binghamton was bolstered by strong performances from reigning America East (AE) pitcher of the week senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux along with several underclassmen.

“Offensively, we just need to get some momentum and execute better with runners in scoring position,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We are continuing to see everyone’s number one pitchers because we are playing well.”

Binghamton’s (7-3) first match was against the University of South Carolina Upstate (4-4). L’Amoreaux followed her award-winning performance last weekend by dominating on the mound and the plate. After L’Amoreaux surrendered three runs in the first inning, she held the Spartans in check the rest of the game — pitching a 10-inning complete game, good for the longest outing of her career and a career-best 13 strikeouts. On the offensive side, L’Amoreaux drove in three RBIs, including the go-ahead RBI in extra-innings — propelling the Bearcats to a 4-3 victory.

“[L’Amoreaux] has had a great start to her senior year in all facets of the game,” Bump wrote. “She’s a true athlete and competitor, and she has become our spark.”

Binghamton finished up Friday against Winthrop University (7-3). Redshirt junior outfielder Brianna Santos opened the game quickly with a leadoff home run to right center field. However, the Bearcats’ offense was silenced, pushing across only one more hit the entire game. Sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts picked up the offense’s slack, holding the Eagles scoreless through six innings. Binghamton’s one run scored was not enough, however, as Roberts gave up a run during the Eagles’ final opportunity at bat in the 7th inning and ultimately surrendered the walk-off run in the 8th inning for a 2-1 Binghamton loss.

“[Santos] pitched a great game against Winthrop, and after scoring first, the result was a little disappointing,” Bump wrote. “We aren’t necessarily worried about where we are offensively, just need to continue to work.”

Binghamton’s bats bounced back during their first Saturday game against Monmouth (3-7). Although the Hawks took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, Binghamton answered in the third with three runs of their own —courtesy of doubles from Santos and Roberts. In the fourth inning, freshman utility player Maddy Dodig homered to center field to make it 4-3. Following a Monmouth run in the top of the fifth inning, freshman infielder Elisa Allen broke the tie with a three-run homer to center field shifting momentum in the Bearcat’s favor with a 7-4 lead. On the mound, pitching duties passed from freshman pitcher/utility player Delaney Glover to sophomore pitcher Olivia Kennedy and then to Roberts as they allowed a combined three earned runs. The game ended 8-5 in favor of BU.

“[Allen’s] home run was obviously the at-bat that shifted the momentum,” Bump wrote. “Her presence as a freshman has been great, and she provides us power in the middle of our lineup that is key.”

In Binghamton’s second Saturday matchup, they played Appalachian State University (3-4). Both teams had an eventful third inning — L’Amoreaux drove in the Bearcats’ only run of the game with a double, meanwhile, the Mountaineers drove home three baserunners. Appalachian State tacked on two more runs in later innings. BU errors were costly again as Roberts allowed just three earned runs on the mound, but two unearned runs also came across. Binghamton’s inability to convert with runners on base — five runners were left stranded — was a major factor in the teams’ 5-1 loss.

“Right now, our defense is the area that needs the most improvement,” Bump wrote. “We will be working on that during our off week to sharpen up.”

BU’s sole victory on Sunday came against LeMoyne (0-5) — who played its first games as a Division I team this weekend. The Bearcats’ bats bounced back once again, as the team finished the invitational with an 11-2 win. Allen hit her second home run of the weekend, freshman pitcher/utility player Sami Levine hit a pinch-hit home run and Dodig went 3-3 at the plate.

“Our freshmen really stepped up on Sunday,” Bump wrote. “They bring a lot of competitiveness and grit to our lineup and are really settling in.”

Binghamton will resume play on Friday, March 1, at the Spring in the Springs Invitational with the team’s first game being against Mercer University. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Brinkley Softball Stadium in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

The Binghamton softball team opened its 2024 campaign in Florida at the Frank Griffin Classic, going 4-1 throughout the weekend. After dropping its first game against Boston University, the Bearcats defeated Stetson and SIUE twice, coming away with a 4-1 record, their best start since the 2004 season.

“Our first weekend was a good start for us,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “For this early in the season with a lot of different lineups, we had a lot of energy and showed a lot of fight in some tough games.”

Binghamton (4-1) played two games on Friday, a morning matchup against Boston University (5-0) and an afternoon game against Stetson University (0-5). The Bearcats began their weekend falling 8-0 to Boston University after being held hitless through all six innings. The tide turned during game two against Stetson, as senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux went three-for-four with three RBIs and a home run while pitching four innings with four strike outs. Despite Stetson tacking on a run in the sixth inning, the Bearcats held on to win 6-5.

“[Boston University] is a veteran team with a great pitching staff and an offense that never lets up,” Bump wrote. “Obviously, we would’ve liked a better outcome, but something we talked about is not losing two in a row, and just competing better in our [at-bats] and we did that.”

The Bearcats played another doubleheader on Saturday taking on SIUE (1-4) and Stetson for the second time. Binghamton carried its momentum from the previous day against SIUE, exploding for seven runs by the fifth inning. Binghamton struck first in the second inning, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts. Another two runs would be scored in both the third and fourth innings off of errors by SIUE’s shortstop, and the Bearcats did not look back, winning 7-3. Roberts recorded the win, pitching five innings and striking out six, while giving up five hits and three runs, only two of which were earned.

Binghamton’s second game against Stetson was an uphill battle. While BU scored in the first inning, Stetson responded by putting up four runs of their own in the second. Then, BU tacked on two more runs in the fifth to make it 4-3. In the sixth, Roberts hit a run-scoring double to complete the Bearcat comeback and tie the game at four. Binghamton then scored three runs in the top of the seventh, with the first two coming off a two-RBI double by sophomore catcher Emma Lawson and the third being driven in by senior catcher Hailey Ehlers. Stetson plated a run of its own in the bottom of the seventh, but Binghamton held on to win the game 7-5.

“We were able to execute early to get ahead, went down by three and then really rallied back with some great [at-bats],” Bump wrote. “[Sophomore piticher Olivia Kennedy] threw the final 4 and showed great composure in some tough moments.”

BU played one final game on Sunday, a morning matchup against SIUE, which saw a pitching duel. L’Amoreaux pitched all seven innings, striking out six while giving up six hits and one earned run. SIUE captured the lead in the fifth inning and led into the final frame of the game. With BU down by one, Lawson came up big with a two-run single to walk the game off in the seventh inning, as the Bearcats won 2-1.

“I was really proud of the seventh inning … we had a freshman lead off with a double, a freshman come back from a 0-2 count to walk and then a sophomore come up clutch with the walk-off,” Bump wrote. “We have talent in every class, and they all stepped up in their own ways this weekend.”

Binghamton will be back in action next week at the Winthrop Eagle Classic with its first game against the University of South Carolina- Upstate on Friday, Feb. 16. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Terry Field in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Going 29-18 throughout the year and 13-7 in AE conference play, the Bearcats traveled to Maryland to compete in the AE tournament. No. 2 Binghamton entered the tournament with a first-round bye, slated to face No. 3 Albany. The game was scoreless four innings in until the Great Danes finally got on the board. The Bearcats were unable to respond, losing the matchup 6-0.

Facing elimination, BU went up against No. 6 Maine, the next day. The game went back and forth until the sixth inning when the Black Bears scored three runs to take a 6-3 lead. Despite tacking on a run in the bottom of the inning, Binghamton came up short as its season ended with a 6-4 loss to Maine.

Although the season did not end the way they had hoped, the Bearcats captured several awards and honors. This includes five returning Bearcats that were all-conference selections. Returning is sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts, who was named Rookie of the Year and to the Second Team All-Conference.

Returning to the team are first team all-conference selections in redshirt junior utility Lindsey Walter and redshirt junior outfielder Brianna Santos. Earning second team all-conference picks and returning to the roster are sophomore infielder Akira Kopec, senior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux and junior outfielder Laney Harbaugh. Lastly, sophomore pitcher Brianna Roberts, who won AE rookie of the year in 2023, will be at the forefront of the BU pitching staff once again.

BU will start its season on the road against Boston University at the Frank Griffin Classic on Friday, Feb. 9. First pitch is set for 9:30 a.m. at Patricia Wilson Field in Deland, Florida.

“Obviously this wasn’t the way we wanted our season to end, but overall we are very proud of the season we put together,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We made great strides in a year, and one weekend shouldn’t dictate how we feel about the season as a whole.”

Coming off their bye on Wednesday, No. 2 BU (29-18,13-7 AE) took on No. 3 Albany (24-19,11-7 AE) on Thursday afternoon. After four innings of scoreless play on both sides, the Great Danes finally broke through, plating three in the fifth inning. Albany would then go on to add three more runs in the seventh inning to take a commanding 6-0 lead against Binghamton. The Bearcats’ offense stayed dormant as they were held scoreless for the rest of the game, eventually dropping the contest 6-0 while being outhit by the Great Danes nine to two.

“Going in to play a very well-coached Albany team for the seventh time and the fourth time in a week was going to be a tough task,” Bump wrote. “We started off the game strong and it was a pitcher duel through 4. Albany is a very good offensive team, and we gave them a few extra opportunities to allow them to score some runs late. Offensively we hit some balls hard, but overall didn’t have the fire we needed to come back from the deficit we were in.”

BU then took on No. 6 seeded Maine (16-39, 4-15 AE) in an elimination game on Friday afternoon with the winner advancing to play Albany. In AE conference play, the Bearcats went 5-0 against the Black Bears. However, this time, Maine was able to flip the script. The Black Bears managed to get on the board first, plating one run in the top of the third. In response, the Bearcats tied things up at one in the bottom half of the inning as freshman infielder Akira Kopec’s RBI double brought senior outfielder Jill Fittry home.

While the Black Bears added one run in both the fourth and fifth innings, Binghamton managed to tack on two in the bottom of the fourth when junior first baseman Allison L’Amoreaux launched a two-run home run over the left field fence. With the game tied at three, Maine went on to rally in the top of the sixth and tacked on three runs, taking a 6-3 lead over Binghamton. Despite a solo home run from freshman catcher Emma Lawson in the bottom of the inning, it would not be enough as Maine upset the Bearcats 6-4 to end their season.

“Even though we won five games against Maine, they were all tight, and we knew we were going to have to play a clean game,” Bump said. “It was a back-and-forth battle but ultimately we made a few defensive miscues that gave them some momentum.”

Binghamton ends the season with 29 wins, the fourth best in program history. In addition, a league-high eight Bearcats earned all-conference honors, which is also tied for the most ever in program history. Graduate student second baseman Alli Richmond, redshirt sophomore utility player Lindsey Walter and redshirt sophomore third baseman Brianna Santos were first-team all-conference selections while the second team included AE rookie of year freshman pitcher Brianna Roberts, graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas, sophomore outfielder Laney Harbaugh and Kopec.

“We feel good about the future of Binghamton softball,” Bump said. “Our expectations and standards will continue to improve as time goes on, and we have a group of competitive players who really want to help this program reach new heights.”

“[Albany] was a good ball club,” said Binghamton head Coach Tim Sinicki. “They’re a pretty talented team … I was proud of the way our guys rallied from the loss on Friday night to win Saturday and Sunday and take the series. It’s a good series win for us on the road.”

In the first game of the series, the Great Danes (8-29-1, 2-16 AE) came out of the gates hot, plating two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead over BU (24-17, 10-8 AE). Albany then added two more runs in the fourth to take a commanding 4-0 lead over the Bearcats. Eventually, in the sixth, the Bearcats scored their first and only run of the game, courtesy of an RBI single from sophomore catcher Evin Sullivan. After scoring one run each in the seventh and eighth innings, the Great Danes took game one 6-1.

“It’s hard to say [why the team struggled on offense],” Sinicki said. “We were playing from behind and [Albany’s] kid did a good job just kind of throwing strikes, mixing three pitches for strikes and kind of just kept us at bay.”
The Bearcats got the scoring going for the series’ second contest when senior designated hitter Zachary Taylor was hit by a pitch in the second inning with the bases loaded, bringing home senior first baseman Kevin Gsell.

The offense continued to tack on runs in the third and fourth innings with solo home runs from junior outfielders Tommy Reifler and Mike Gunning as the Bearcats took a 3-0 lead. While the Great Danes eventually got on the board in the bottom of the seventh, Binghamton responded with four more runs of its own in the eighth as the visitors expanded their lead to six. However, Albany would not give up, plating three runs in the eighth, cutting the deficit to three runs. Despite scraping across one run in the ninth, the Great Danes’ comeback fell short as the Bearcats captured game two 7-5.

“Our kids did a great job of just putting what happened on Friday night in the rearview mirror and finding a way to win the game on Saturday heading into today,” Sinicki said. “It’s tough to play from behind so getting those runs early was really important for us, and I’m glad our offense found a way to do that.”

In the rubber match of the series, Binghamton came out of the gates hot. In the top of the second, the Bearcats put up six runs, which included a three-run home run from sophomore infielder Nick Roselli, as they jumped out to a sizable lead over the Great Danes. However, in the bottom of the inning, the Great Danes responded with two runs of their own, cutting Binghamton’s lead to four.

The Bearcats would go on to add three more scores in the fourth, courtesy of another three-run home run by Roselli, putting Binghamton up 9-2. After Albany added a run in the bottom of the inning, BU added another run to its tally with an RBI single from freshman infielder Mike Stellrecht, which expanded its lead to seven once again. Albany’s two-run eighth inning would not be enough as the Bearcats scored two runs of their own in the ninth, securing a 12-5 victory.

“We did a good job early on, getting some runs early which always definitely helps the pitching staff,” Sinicki said. “[Roselli] had two three-run homers … he was really good all weekend so he continues to be an important guy for us in our lineup.”

Binghamton will stay on the road as it continues AE play against Bryant on Friday, May 12. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Conaty Park in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

“This was a tough weekend for us result-wise, but we know that every game we play against Albany is going to be a close one, and whatever team executes in times of pressure will come out on top,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump.

In the first game of the series, after a scoreless first and second inning, BU (29-16, 13-7 AE) took a 1-0 lead against the Great Danes (21-18, 11-7 AE) after freshman infielder Akira Kopec sent one down the left field line and over the fence. The Bearcats added to its total in the top of the fourth when junior first baseman Allison L’Amoreaux doubled to center field, bringing in redshirt sophomore third baseman Brianna Santos.

However, the Great Danes would plate two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at two. Albany followed up its two-run fourth with two more runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead over Binghamton. Despite mounting a late comeback in the seventh to cut the deficit to one, the Bearcats fell short and were defeated 4-3.

“We were pressing a bit this weekend for no reason, but I think we learned a lot about ourselves going into next week,” Bump wrote.

The second game began with Binghamton getting on the board first once again, after junior catcher Hailey Ehlers singled to right field, scoring graduate student infielder Alli Richmond as the Bearcats took an early 1-0 lead. Ehlers was credited with another RBI in the fourth after barreling a second single to right field to plate L’Amoreaux, expanding BU’s lead to two.

Albany would respond in the bottom of the inning with three runs of its own as it took a 3-2 lead over the visitors. Not long after, the Bearcats tied things up at three in the fifth when Richmond singled to right field to bring in sophomore outfielder Sarah Rende. However, In the bottom of the seventh, the Great Danes managed to score off a Binghamton error and walk off the Bearcats 4-3.

“Overall, I think as a group we just need to know what things we do well when we play our best ball,” Bump wrote. “[We need to] compete, stay focused and stay in the present and know that we can come back from any deficit.”

Both teams were held scoreless for much of the final game until the fourth inning when the Bearcats scraped across two runs, courtesy of a two-RBI double from senior catcher Quinn DeCicco. Then, in the bottom of the inning, the Great Danes managed to cut Binghamton’s lead to just one with a home run. Albany plated three more runs in the sixth, as it took a 4-2 lead over the Bearcats. Despite a home run to left center by Richmond in the seventh, the Bearcats were unable to complete the comeback as they fell 4-3 to the Great Danes for the third time in the series.

“We got ahead in all three games, but we could’ve been scoring a lot more runs early to take some pressure off our defense, but we just were competing in the box and having quality at-bats throughout,” Bump wrote. “Despite a tough weekend, there is no doubt in my mind we will go down to Baltimore and compete.”

Despite being swept by Albany, Binghamton has clinched the No. 2 seed in the AE tournament, hosted by UMBC, and will ultimately have a first-round bye.

“Our season has been a great one, and I am so proud of the strides we have made to get to this point,” Bump wrote. “We just need to trust that hard work and know that all of the preparation we have done will help us get to where we want to be next week.”

Binghamton will take on the winner of the first-round AE tournament matchup between No. 3 Albany and No. 6 Maine on Thursday, May 11. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Diamond at UMBC in Baltimore, Maryland.

“We’ve been riding a high the last few weeks, so getting our third straight sweep is awesome,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “This weekend was a bit different as runs weren’t coming by as easy, but I’m super proud of how the girls still found a way to grind out three wins playing against a good Maine team.”

In the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday, BU (29-13, 13-4 AE) got on the board first during the top of the first inning. A fielding error by the Black Bears (12-35, 3-13 AE) allowed redshirt sophomore designated hitter Lindsey Walter to score, giving the Bearcats an early 1-0 lead. However, Maine would tack on a run of its own in the bottom of the second, tying the game at one all. The game would remain 1-1 until the sixth inning, when junior first baseman Allison L’Amoreaux singled to left field to bring in sophomore outfielder Sarah Rende, giving Binghamton a one-run advantage.

“I think our past successes are continuing to keep us confident all around,” Bump wrote. “We’ve gotten down early in a lot of games the past two weeks, but our girls have really learned how to respond and not feel pressure.”

In the seventh, the Bearcats added an insurance run after Maine committed another error. Binghamton would then hold the visitors scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, securing a 3-1 victory in game one. Graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas went the distance and earned the victory, pitching seven innings, striking out eight batters and only giving up one earned run.

Game two on Saturday began in a similar fashion as Binghamton got on the board first once again, courtesy of a double in the gap by redshirt sophomore outfielder Brianna Santos that scored Rende. However, in the third, Maine would tie things up with a solo home run. Neither team would get on the board again until the top of the seventh when the Bearcats put up three runs as graduate student infielder Alli Richmond, freshman pitcher Brianna Roberts and freshman catcher Emma Lawson all collected RBIs. The Black Bears were held scoreless in the bottom of the inning as Binghamton ended up on top once again by a score of 4-1.

“Our pitchers are continuing to keep us in games,” Bump wrote. “With how much better our offense is this year, they are throwing stress-free and trust that the bats will have their backs if they give up some runs.”

The final contest began with the Black Bears taking an early 1-0 lead over the Bearcats in the bottom of the first inning. However, Binghamton responded almost immediately as sophomore outfielder Laney Harbaugh singled up the middle to score Richmond, tying the score at one. The Bearcats would go on to add runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, taking a 5-1 lead. Maine then scratched across two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut Binghamton’s lead to just two. It was not enough, however, and the Bearcats swept the series with a 5-3 victory. Roberts was awarded the victory as she pitched all seven innings and struck out five batters.

With a three-game sweep over Maine, BU has now clinched a top-two seed in the AE, marking the fourth time in program history in which the Bearcats will be a top-two seed going into the postseason. In addition, Binghamton has secured a first-round bye in the AE tournament.

“Getting the two seed is huge,” Bump wrote. “The first-round bye really helps as you only have to win three games instead of 4. An extra day of rest is always helpful, especially for our pitchers.”

Binghamton will conclude AE play against Albany starting on Friday, May 5. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at UAlbany Field in Albany, New York.

“We obviously have a great atmosphere here,” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We love playing at home, and I think we just talked about keeping the momentum into Maine this weekend. It’s a tough place to go up and play, and they’re a good team. They’ve been playing some tight games, so just making sure we got momentum today to make sure we feel good going into the weekend.”

An offensive burst from both sides marked the start of the day’s first game. The Bearcats (26-13, 10-4 AE) answered the Black Knights’ (17-31, 7-5 Patriot League) run in the first inning with one of their own, courtesy of sophomore outfielder Sarah Rende who doubled to center field and brought in in redshirt sophomore utility Lindsey Walter. However, Army would go on to score three runs in the third inning and one in the fourth to lead 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Binghamton responded as sophomore outfielder Laney Harbaugh batted in graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas to close the gap to 5-2.

The hosts then blew past the Knights in the following innings, plating three runs in the fifth and five runs in the sixth to lead 10-5 entering the final inning. The last three of those runs came in the form of a three-run homer by junior utility Shelby Carvalho. While Army would manage to scrape across one consolation run in the seventh, a timely catch from Pappas would help Binghamton hold onto its lead to secure the first game of the afternoon 10-6.

After pitching the first three innings, freshman pitcher Kendal Leitner was replaced by Pappas, who struck out two batters and allowed four hits over her four innings of work, recording the win for the game. Additionally, Pappas was a standout hitter, recording a hit during each of her three at-bats. She would also go on to score all three times that she got on base and registered two RBIs as well.

The second game of the day started out more slowly. After a scoreless first inning, graduate student infielder Alli Richmond’s solo home run in the second gave Binghamton the 1-0 lead which it would not relinquish for the rest of the contest. In the third inning, junior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux plated Rende with a single while Harbaugh brought in freshman utility Kaylin Curro in the fourth with a single of her own. The fourth inning would also see a three-run homer from redshirt sophomore infielder Gabby Guerrero, who knocked it out of the park with Harbaugh and freshman infielder Akira Kopec on base. The scoring spree allowed Binghamton to lead 6-0 going into the fifth. The Black Knights, however, got on the board with a solo home run in the fifth inning, ending L’Amoreaux’s shutout performance. The following final two innings were scoreless as Binghamton won the game 6-1, and ultimately swept the doubleheader over Army. L’Amoreux pitched all seven innings and was credited with the win, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out four batters.

“I think [Harbaugh] had a pretty good day, quietly,” Bump said. “She had, I think, three hits in the first game and three hits in the second. Some key RBIs for us when we needed her to, and obviously, at the top the lineup, it’s good to have her hot — so hopefully she can keep that going the next two weeks.”

Binghamton will hit the road this weekend for a three-game series against Maine starting on Saturday, April 29. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for noon at the UMaine Softball Facility in Orono, Maine.

“Our team is starting to get a lot of confidence in all aspects of the game,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “Our move the line mentality [is] really working for us offensively. Our pitchers are pounding the zone and not giving up a lot of walks, and our defense is playing sound. Everything is coming together at the right time.”

The Bearcats (24-13, 10-4 AE) offense began early in the series, making quick runs in the bottom of the first despite UMass Lowell (15-24-1, 5-9 AE) taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame. Graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas capped the inning’s scoring with a double that brought home redshirt sophomore outfielder Brianna Santos as the hosts grabbed a 3-1 lead. The scoring didn’t halt there, however, as BU plated three more runs in the game including another Pappas double that scored Santos in the fourth inning. The River Hawks staged a late comeback which fell short as Binghamton won 6-3. Pappas shined on the mound for seven innings, notching nine strikeouts in the process, and earned her third win of the season.

“[Pappas] has a demeanor you can’t teach,” Bump wrote. “She’s fierce, competitive and wants the ball. And because of those things, we are all very confident that she is going to give us a good chance to win when we [know] she’s on the mound. Her confidence on the mound is also translating to the batter’s box as well, and she had a great week all around.”

The second game of the series started in a different fashion than the first as a pitching duel surfaced early. The score sat at 1-0 after four and a half innings of play, with the only run coming from a Bearcat single in the second. This changed in the bottom of the fifth, however, as the hosts put a six spot on the board to take a commanding 7-0 lead late. Pappas and Santos came through again, plating the first three runs of the inning in a joint effort. Senior utility Quinn DeCicco capped the run, however, with a three-run shot to center field.

The River Hawks had a four-run response in the next frame but still trailed to the hosts. BU followed up its hot fifth inning with another offensive flurry in the sixth. The Bearcats added their second straight six-run inning, but this time with sophomore outfielder Sarah Rende hitting a three-run homer that would end the game at 13-4 due to the mercy rule.

The final contest began similar to game two as the River Hawks took an early 1-0 lead. However, BU plated runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings while the visitors managed just one more run for the game. Junior first baseman Allison L’Amoreaux brought in Rende after hitting a two-run homer in the third and Santos plated two on her triple in the sixth that helped Binghamton secure an 8-2 victory and the sweep. Pappas earned her second win of the weekend and tossed seven strikeouts in seven innings. The Bearcats recorded their second straight AE sweep with the victory, and have won eight of their last nine conference games. They sit in second place in the conference standings behind top-seeded UMBC.

“We had a really great weekend for many reasons,” Bump wrote. “Series wins are always clutch, but getting that extra win with the sweep back-to-back weekends is huge momentum wise for us. It was also senior weekend and all of our seniors all had a lot of fun and performed well in front of all of their family and friends.”

Binghamton will remain home for a midweek doubleheader against Army on Tuesday, April 25. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Bearcats Softball Complex in Vestal, New York.

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”That’s the one thing about this team — we’ve [been] really great at making adjustments,” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We always talk about not losing two in a row, and I thought they came out in that second game and really focused on the things we talked about in between games.”

The first contest began in quick scoring fashion as both BU (21-13, 7-4 AE) and Syracuse (15-22-1, 4-12-1 Atlantic Coastal Conference [ACC]) ended the first inning with runs to their names. The Bearcats put up their first run of the day thanks to a redshirt sophomore outfielder Brianna Santos double. They could not match the visitors, however, who plated two during their half of the frame and held the lead. Both sides remained scoreless over the following two innings as the Orange led 2-1 halfway through the contest.

Binghamton eventually tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when junior catcher Hailey Ehlers singled to right field. The host’s comeback effort halted there, however, as Syracuse staged its response in the following frame. The visitors added two runs in the top of the fifth and took a 4-2 lead. That advantage would hold for the remainder of the first game as both sides went scoreless in the following innings. Santos and Ehlers highlighted BU’s offense, each notching an RBI hit in the game.

“The first game we were a little disappointed we left a lot of runners on base and didn’t quite execute with runners in scoring position,” Bump said. “We just talked about, after the game, that’s gotta be our focus, especially going into this weekend against UMass Lowell.”

In game two, the visitors started off in similar fashion, scoring a run in the top of the first off of a home run. Offense stalled once again for both sides, however, as no runs were scored over the next three innings. Binghamton had a chance to knot things up in the bottom of the fourth inning, having bases loaded with two outs as freshman catcher Emma Lawson stepped in as a pinch hitter. The freshman fired a ground ball through the infield, scoring two runs and taking the lead off of her single. Immediately after, redshirt sophomore infielder Gabby Guerrero smacked a three-run homer into left field and brought the Bearcats advantage to 5-1.

“I think pinch hitting is probably the hardest thing to do in softball, coming cold off the bench,” Bump said. “[Lawson’s] been doing a really great job all year, and we have great confidence in her. Usually she’s up with runners in scoring position in really tight situations. She’s super confident, really poised [and] went after the first pitch after not seeing a pitch all day. Super proud of her and then obviously after her, [Guererro] came up with that home run which we were just talking about moving the line and keeping it going.”

Syracuse staged another quick response in the fifth, sending a two-run homer over the fence and shrinking its deficit to 5-3. Despite this, the Binghamton bats continued to shine in the bottom of the fifth. Santos singled with the bases loaded to score two, followed by graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas who drove a run in on a double. Freshman infielder Akira Kopec capped off the seven run inning along with the game as she slapped a three RBI double to take a 12-3 lead as BU took game two off of a mercy rule victory.

“In that first game, we were just taking a lot of good pitches early on in our counts and not necessarily getting great outcomes,” Bump said. “We’ve been talking about having productive outs, and we really didn’t do that the first game. I thought the girls really made great adjustments and good focus, and that’s what we’ve been doing all year. When we are focused and we’re going after pitches, we know that we can hit hard, and that’s why you saw the better results [in game two].”

Binghamton will return to conference action this weekend when it takes on UMass Lowell at home, starting on Saturday, April 22. First pitch is set for noon at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“When you come home with a sweep, it always means it was a big weekend,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “We have been playing some great softball, and I think we are starting to get on a roll at the right time.”

In game one on Saturday, the Bearcats (20-12, 7-4 AE) got off to a hot start, immediately plating three runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a homer from redshirt sophomore outfielder Brianna Santos. Bryant (11-23, 3-8 AE) was quick in its response, adding its only two runs of the weekend in the bottom of the frame. BU continued its offensive prowess, scoring 14 more runs in the contest, including nine in the final inning, and won the game 17-2. Junior pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux and sophomore outfielder Sarah Rende hit home runs of their own in the game as well. L’Amoreaux hit a two-run shot in the third, while Rende notched a grand slam in the fifth inning.

“We are a team that takes momentum and rides it, and I think you saw that out of our offense this weekend,” Bump wrote. “The behind-the-scenes hard work that people see is what I believe is bringing us in the right direction. All 20 of them have put in a lot of time, and that’s why you are seeing the results that you are from both our starters and reserves coming off the bench and having good at-bats.”

The teams continued its series later in the day for the second game of the doubleheader. Game two brought a much closer contest than the first, even though the Bulldogs were unable to plate any runs and were held scoreless by graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas. The Bearcat threw for the full seven innings, striking out six batters and allowing just one hit in her first career shutout. BU’s offense slowed down in this game, however, scoring just three runs as a single from redshirt sophomore utility Lindsey Walter and a double from Santos assisted in the team’s second victory of the day.

“I think we have figured out a lot about ourselves the last three weeks or so,” Bump wrote. “We know the tempo we like to play at, our at bats are getting more competitive and our pitchers are continuing to keep us in games.”

Binghamton’s strong play continued into Sunday for the series’ final game. Despite both sides going scoreless for the first three innings, the Bearcats managed to break the game open in the fourth. L’Amoreaux plated two runs with a double and scored soon after to take a 3-0 lead. Freshman infielder Akira Kopec capped off the frame with a two-run homer that put the visitors up five. Three more runs in the final inning completed the contest and the 8-0 win for BU. Freshman pitcher Brianna Roberts earned her second win of the weekend, tossing three innings, allowing zero hits and striking out four. Roberts now sits at nine wins on the season, becoming the second Binghamton freshman to reach that mark since 2017.

“Our pitchers have done a great job all year for us,” Bump wrote. “All five bring something different to the table. This weekend [Roberts] and [Pappas] were dominant, so we didn’t have to pitch by committee as much as we have been, which is good knowing we may see Bryant in the tournament and still have some weapons they haven’t seen yet.”

Binghamton will return home for a nonconference doubleheader with Syracuse on Wednesday, April 19. First pitch for game one is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.