Despite maintaining a scoreless draw deep into the second half, the Bearcats went down to 10 men in the 72nd minute and could not hold on, surrendering a score soon after as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat.

“So out of the back four, three of them had to get replaced, and those are just some difficult things,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “I think the red card obviously hurts us because now we have to change how we’re playing.”

Binghamton (4-8-0, 0-2 AE) was hot out of the gate, as a deep ball from senior back Rio Onwumere to sophomore forward D.T. Megliola almost led to an open goal opportunity in UMass Lowell’s (6-4-1, 1-1 AE) box in the third minute. The Bearcats continued to push down the field, and in the ninth minute, a shot inside the box from junior midfielder Alex Balkey nearly found twine.

The Bearcats continued to apply pressure to the River Hawks’ back line as Randazzo attempted a header from the edge of the six-yard box in the 11th minute. The River Hawks saw their first chances of the game at the 15-minute mark, when they rattled off a pair of shot attempts, the second of which was handily saved by senior goalkeeper Jack Root.

“The one great thing that has come is they’ve been executing the game plan,” Marco said. “They’ve been trying to stick with how we want them to play. We were more direct in this last game, and I think you’ll see that the rest of the way.”

Both squads struggled to create chances as the first half continued to progress, with neither squad registering a shot until the 31st minute, when Randazzo had a shot fly over the net. A minute later, Binghamton’s back line was put to the test as UMass Lowell attempted four shots over six minutes.

However, two of the River Hawks’ shots went out wide, and the other two were scooped up by Root. The foes went into the half deadlocked.

“We have good chances in front of goal, and they go wider over,” Marco said. “I don’t think it’s any one thing. I mean, they’re certainly different in training. I think maybe losing kind of breeds losing — you think you can’t do things, rather than thinking that you can.”

UMass Lowell opened the second half with a near score in the 48th, as a ball played into Binghamton’s box was skied on the shot attempt. The Bearcats responded with a near score of their own when a shot from Randazzo inside the box flew over the net in the 51st.

Both squads continued to search for the match’s opening score. The Bearcats attempted three shots and the River Hawks went for two, but none were on target as the stalemate persisted into the 71st minute.

After picking up a yellow card in the 66th minute to prevent a River Hawk’s transition attack, Randazzo was given his second of the match in the 72nd minute. Binghamton was forced to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.

“[Randazzo’s] first yellow card, I think he has to take that,” Marco said. “It’s a good tactical foul right at the halfway line. But then the second one is, I mean, I can’t even understand it. You know, you’re on a yellow, you can’t go reaching for things.”

Following the red card, Binghamton continued to search for a score, attempting several counterattacks. UMass Lowell, however, capitalized on Binghamton’s aggressiveness with a counterattack of its own, rapidly progressing down the pitch and finding the lone score of the match in the 81st minute.

Despite their best efforts, the Bearcats were held out of the net for the remainder of play, as they fell to the River Hawks 1-0.

“The way that they scored the goal on a counter off of our throw-in is really disappointing,” Marco said. “So it was difficult, but I did think we did pretty well [defending] in the game.”

The Bearcats will look to get back on track when they host NJIT on Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

“We’re learning, our little ones coming in and playing defense too, they want to be in and they’re hungry,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “Our freshmen want to learn, and they’re really hungry to get in there, and that’s all you can ask for.”

The Bearcats (7-10, 2-1 AE) opened the afternoon with a tightly contested first set. Both sides traded points early, but the Bearcats began to pull ahead thanks to long rallies and kills from freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown, establishing an 18-12 lead.

NJIT (3-14, 0-3 AE) answered with a 10-6 run, but a decisive finish from sophomore middle blocker Sophia Holland secured the first set win.

“[Coblentz-Brown], I mean, come on,” Yaeger said. ”She got 20 kills today and hit .409 as a freshman in a conference play game. She is outstanding, and it just makes the future of this program and this team so great. I’m so excited for her.”

NJIT answered in the second set, capitalizing on the Bearcats’ inconsistencies to take a 20-11 lead. Binghamton answered with an 11-3 run, powered by back row support from senior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic and connections between graduate student setter Alexandra Koleva and sophomore right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova. However, the Highlanders held their lead and evened the match with a 25-22 second-set victory.

Binghamton regrouped in the third, using strong communication and steady serving to establish momentum and a 10-5 lead. Koleva, who finished with 43 assists, consistently found her hitters in rhythm. Freshman middle blocker Francesca Pierdonati anchored the defense at the net as the Bearcats pulled away 25-19 to take a 2-1 set lead.

NJIT, however, refused to fold, storming back with a 25-17 win in the fourth set. Although Holland contributed key blocks, the Highlanders’ offense surged as they forced the match to a deciding fifth following the Bearcats’ lost rhythm.

”The NJIT team fought really, really hard against us,” Yaeger said. “They were digging balls like crazy, and it kind of came down in that fifth set, and I told the girls in one of the last time-outs, they’re digging, we’re digging, it’s going to come down to who makes that error at the last second. So, fortunately for us, it was them. But I’m glad we fight, that is something that we do.”

The fifth set opened with both teams again trading points, as NJIT briefly pulled ahead 10-7. However, the Bearcats dug in defensively, driven by senior libero Emily Cronkhite’s 27 digs. The Bearcats quickly regained their rhythm and closed the match with an 8-0 run, capped by a kill to secure the 15-10 set victory and overall match win.

“It’s huge,” Yaeger said. “Going into this weekend, the players knew how big this was. To go 2-0, we have to get our home games, we have to get our home matches. Last year, we played really well at home, we went undefeated in conference play.“

Coblentz-Brown powered the Bearcats with 20 kills, hitting an efficient .409 on the day. Her steady offensive presence proved vital in a match filled with long rallies and an over-regulation set number.

While Coblentz-Brown led the offense, several of her teammates played pivotal roles. Smajlovic and Dimitrova each added 12 kills, with Smajlovic also contributing 18 digs. Pierdonati tallied a team-high eight blocks, supported by Dimitrova’s four and Holland’s three. Koleva’s 15 digs complemented her 43 assists.

Binghamton will look to keep its momentum when it takes on Bryant on Sunday, Oct. 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

The Bearcats handily claimed the first two sets of the match before dropping the third set 25-11. After forcing the fourth set past regulation, Binghamton won the final points on serves, claiming the fourth set and the victory.

“UMBC, they’re a brand new team and so are we,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We’ve been used to them looking a certain way for a really long time, and I know vice versa, same thing with us. We watch film and we prepare, and we prepare.”

The match opened tightly, with UMBC (3-9, 1-1 AE) staying close as Binghamton (6-10, 1-1 AE) worked to establish a rhythm. Behind a late kill from freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown, the Bearcats secured the 25-22 first-set win.

Despite the close score, the Bearcats led for the majority of the set, never relinquishing their lead after going ahead 5-4.

“We switched to a 5-1 tonight to start, we’ve been running a 6-2 for a while now,” Yaeger said. “So I’m really happy that that turned out in our favor and we looked successful doing it.”

Momentum carried into the second set, where Binghamton pulled away early and capitalized on UMBC attack errors to build a 17-11 lead. UMBC answered with a 3-0 run, but the Bearcats put together a dominant close to the set, with an 8-2 run to claim the 25-16 victory and a 2-0 lead.

UMBC answered in the third set, however, making adjustments that challenged the Bearcats’ defense. The Retrievers’ offense broke through, and Binghamton struggled to recover, surrendering a pair of 4-0 runs and dropping the set 11-25.

In the fourth set, UMBC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Binghamton rallied to stay in it with steady hitting and defense. UMBC regained control throughout the bulk of the set, establishing a 19-14 lead, but the Bearcats clawed back to tie the score at 20-20, outscoring their opponents 6-1 in the process. Both sides traded points to 22-22 and later 24-24, pushing the set beyond regulation.

A service ace from sophomore middle blocker Sophia Holland cemented the victory for Binghamton, sealing the 27-25 score and match win. Throughout the fourth set, freshman libero/defensive specialist Celeste Ocampo provided a steady presence in the back row, digging key balls and helping Binghamton receive serves effectively. Sophomore outside hitter Briana Binagi contributed with consistent kills and offensive pressure.

“We subbed the 6-2 in a little bit in the fourth set, which just gave us a little bit of a different look, a different setter, a different right side,” Yaeger said. “And we started hitting more shots instead of powerful swings and getting blocked, more tipping. We were finding spots on the floor where they weren’t instead of powerful hitting at them.”

Leading the way for Binghamton in its first AE victory of the year was sophomore right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova with a season-high 16 kills.

Graduate student setter Alexandra Koleva registered a team-high 36 assists, while senior libero/defensive specialist Emily Cronkhite chipped in 20 digs.

“We had a kind of momentum that went down, but I feel like in other matches, we couldn’t manage to come back up, and now we did it,” Dimitrova said. “And now we did it all together, and I feel like for the first time in a long time, we really felt as a team, everyone was fighting for each other, and it was just amazing.”

Binghamton will continue its season against Bryant on Sunday, Oct. 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

The men’s squad placed third out of 38 teams, while the women’s placed third out of 39. Between both teams, the Bearcats had six medalists, the most they have achieved in the Paul Short Brown Race.

(0:25) “Both teams, I thought, had good performances overall,” said Binghamton head coach Annette Acuff. “We had a lot of kids who ran personal bests on that course at Lehigh, and certainly it’s always nice to get a top-three finish as a team.”

On the men’s team, sophomore Bobby Mayclim placed 10th in the race out of 314 finishers, registering a time of 24:41.8 in the 8k. Following him was junior Liam Cody, who finished 24th with a time of 25:07.3, and senior Andrew Rosenblatt in 25th place with a time of 25:08.3. All three received medals for placing in the top 25 racers.

The Bearcats men’s squad had four more players finish in the top 100 for the team, sealing their third-place finish, trailing behind only George Washington and American.

(2:33) “It was definitely a nice performance by [Mayclim],” Acuff said. “It ended up just being a little hot running later in the afternoon. I think that affected us, more than anything, was just the heat.”

Meanwhile, the women’s squad was headlined by senior Sydney Leitner, who finished 12th overall in the 6k with a time of 21:16.0, and now holds the highest finish for the women’s team in its history in the Paul Short Brown Race. Along with Leitner, the team had two other medalists in sophomore Anna Gansrow, who finished in 20th with a time of 21:34.2, and freshman Alice Rappazzo, who finished in 22nd with a time of 21:36.0.

The women’s team saw three more Bearcats finish in the top 100, once again leading them to a third-place finish, falling only behind George Washington and Iona.

(3:36) “[Leitner’s] time was her second fastest ever on that course,” Acuff said. “So, considering the conditions with the heat, etc., certainly that was a great performance from her. Another good step forward from the Iona meet. We saw a lot of improvement with the team from Iona and Colgate to Lehigh.”

Just three of the finishers in the top 100 across both the men’s and women’s squads are in their last year with the team, as many of the team’s top players will maintain NCAA eligibility beyond the 2025 campaign. Most notably, Mayclim, Gansrow and Rappazzo currently possess at minimum two years of future NCAA eligibility.

(5:22) “We have one more good opportunity to put in a hard week of training this week,” Acuff said. “So that’s our plan, to get in another really good week of training, and then get ready for Canisius, give everyone another opportunity to compete one last time.”

The cross country team will next compete at the Canisius Alumni Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Buffalo, New York The event is set to begin at Delaware Park at noon.

A goal late in the first half saw the Bearcats take a 1-0 lead, but a score from the reigning AE champions, Maine, tied the match with nine minutes left in play. Binghamton, however, found the game-winning score just two minutes later, building its undefeated streak to nine.

“Ecstatic with the win, ecstatic to be sitting at 3-0 and one,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “At this point, halfway through the conference season in first place. So it’s a great spot for us to be, but we’ve got to make sure that we keep up that quality over the course of the full 90 minutes.”

Binghamton (8-1-3, 3-0-1 AE) wasted no time working its way down the field, as junior midfielder/forward Paige Luke ripped a shot from the edge of the box in the third minute of the match. Eager to create its own pressure, Maine (2-5-2, 1-1-1 AE) strung together a pair of attacks, each resulting in an unsuccessful shot.

The Bearcats continued to drive balls into the opposing third, as sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis rattled off her first shot of the night in the 10th minute. Another shot courtesy of sophomore forward Alexus Worrell bounced off Maine’s post in the 16th.

“We had the first opening, I’d say 25 minutes,” Bhattacharjee said. “I thought we were on top of our opponent today, hit the post, had some good chances.”

A series of early substitutions revitalized the Black Bears, as they took five shots over 12 minutes and prevented the Bearcats from any attempts. Looking to regain control, BU created a corner kick opportunity in the 40th minute, which was taken by freshman midfielder Sydney Krempasky, who worked her way into the box after her cross. She found the ball once more, burying it in the top left corner for the Bearcat lead.

Neither squad registered a shot for the remainder of the period as the Bearcats went into halftime up a score.

“As a six, I don’t have that many chances up by the goal, so I crossed the ball and I ran in and it fell at my foot, so I was like, ‘Let me just take the shot in,’” Krempasky said. “And luckily it went in, so it was great.”

Looking to find their first score of the game, the Black Bears utilized a higher press and aggressive play down the pitch, but several key moves from Binghamton’s back line prevented Maine from registering any shots in the opening minutes of the half. Seeking an insurance goal, Binghamton continued pressuring the Black Bears’ net, with Luke and Krempasky each rattling off a shot, but both attempts missed wide.

“I thought, for the most part, we were able to limit the danger,” Bhattacharjee said. “There are a couple of transition moments that Maine had that perhaps they got it in midfield, but we were able to take care of it once we got into protecting our defensive third.”

After a fast break that saw Maine progress into Binghamton’s box, the Black Bears forced a corner kick, and on the ensuing delivery, they found a score to tie the game at 1-1. Binghamton, however, refused to surrender any momentum following the score, as Luke found Davis on a deep through ball, and Davis worked her way into the box and blasted a shot past the Black Bears’ goalkeeper.

The Bearcats immediately shifted into a more defensive formation, repeatedly clearing the ball out of play, as they prevented Maine from attempting another shot in the match, holding on for the victory. The Bearcats’ win saw them improve their unbeaten streak to a program-record nine games.

“It definitely says we’re a very gritty team, and we’re always looking to be first place, get the three points,” Davis said.

The Bearcats look to cement a program-first 10-game unbeaten streak when they take on UMass Lowell on Sunday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Cushing Field Complex in Lowell, Massachusetts.

“I thought our strikers weren’t very good today, in build-up play, in possession, holding the ball,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “We played balls in the first part of the game and we were losing most of them.”

The Wildcats (3-4-3, 1-0-0 AE) nearly opened their scoring book in the fourth minute of play, with a header attempt bouncing off the post. Just three minutes later, Binghamton (4-6-0, 0-1-0 AE) created a chance of its own, as junior forward Anthony Randazzo attempted a shot during a one-on-one opportunity that went into the gloves of the opposing keeper.

Maintaining its offensive pressure, a UNH header from inside the box flew just over Binghamton’s net in the ninth minute, maintaining the deadlock.

Both offenses began stalling by the ninth minute, with the two squads making just three shots total. Re-energized by a trifecta of substitutions, a deep-through ball from redshirt freshman back Ryan Conti made its way to a breaking junior forward/midfielder Marcus Nahim, who slotted it past the UNH keeper for a Binghamton score. Despite four shot attempts in the closing minutes of the period by the Wildcats, the Bearcats entered the half with their 1-0 lead intact.

“I thought that [Nahim’s] pace was going to give them an issue,” Marco said. “And it clearly did, that’s how we got the goal.”

After nearly 10 minutes of scoreless play to open the second half, the Bearcats took advantage of commotion in the attacking third as sophomore forward D.T. Megliola headed the ball toward Randazzo, who gave BU a 2-0 lead with his third score in three games. Seconds after the score, a UNH fast break saw them rattle off an attempt that was handily saved by graduate student goalkeeper Daniel Shannon.

“I think that if I had to give any piece of advice to the group right now, [on Bryant’s goal-scoring plays], there are moments that each of them knows they could have been a little bit sharper, a little bit better, had a better starting position,” Marco said.

With only 13 minutes remaining in the match, the Wildcats found their first score of the night, stoking the flames of a comeback in the process. UNH continued to aggressively drive down the pitch, forcing three consecutive corner attempts and shutting down BU’s progression through the midfield.

The Bearcats’ hopes for a win were shattered in the 87th minute, as UNH would score once to even the match, before following up with another score to take a 3-2 lead. The Bearcats created a pair of chances in the final two minutes of play, but they could not find twine, falling 0-1 in AE play.

“I mean, we’re winning the game 2-0,” Marco said. “We shouldn’t have lost the game. The guys have to have a look in the mirror and see. They compete hard, and then there’s competing to win, and that’s where we don’t have it right yet.”

Binghamton will return to nonconference play when it hosts Cornell on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

The first set proved to be the tightest of the match, with the score tied throughout much of the first half. After Albany (6-7, 1-0 AE) tied the set 14-14, Binghamton (5-9, 0-1 AE) embarked on a five-point run, thanks in part to three attack errors by its opponents, putting them up 19-14. The Great Danes followed with a 5-1 run of their own, bringing the score back within one, before Binghamton went on a 4-2 run, bringing the game to 24-21.

Albany scored another four in a row to go up 25-24, before Binghamton tied the score at 25, and then again at 26 after its opponents scored once more. However, the Great Danes managed to close out the set with two unanswered points, winning 28-26.

“We did some really good things, but our serve and pass game was not on point tonight, which ultimately cost us the match,” Yaeger wrote.

The second set started in Binghamton’s favor, with the two teams trading leads multiple times before the Bearcats went on a 7-1 run, going up 12-8. However, the Great Danes followed up with six unanswered points. After that run, they refused to relinquish the lead, winning the set 25-17.

Despite the loss, graduate student setter Alexandra Koleva had seven assists, one kill and one block on the set.

“[Koleva] brings a lot of experience to this program,” Yaeger wrote. “We are happy to have her for her final season and we look forward to her continuing to move our offense in the right direction.”

Set three opened with Albany taking an early 3-0 lead, and it continued to maintain control for a majority of the set. The Bearcats started to challenge with a 5-2 run after being down 13-7, bringing the score to 15-12, but trailed for the remainder of the set. Both teams traded blows, ultimately ending the set at a final score of 25-20 and cementing the sweep victory for the Great Danes.

“This was only one match,” Yaeger wrote. “We have 9 left to play. This loss was on us, which is a good thing because we control us. We beat ourselves tonight and will continue to work on us and making progress towards a championship.”

Binghamton will continue its season against Colgate on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“Gutted, just disappointed that we don’t get at least a point in the game,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “We did well enough tonight to at least get a point. A very good goal, but two defensive errors leading into the goal, so that’s disappointing.”

Both Binghamton (3-4-0) and Iona (2-1-2) struggled to create offensive opportunities to open the match, with both squads failing to register a shot in the first 17 minutes of play. The Bearcats registered first on the stat sheet when sophomore forward D.T. Megliola found a breakaway opportunity, nearly resulting in a one-on-one with the opposing keeper. However, the Gael’s backline crashed in, forcing a saved shot.

The foes continued to search for each other’s nets, but no additional shots were registered by the 31st minute.

“Pretty pleased with how we played, I thought we started the game terrific and then as the game went on, we got a little tired,” Marco said. “I felt like, maybe with 12 minutes left in the first half, they started to get a hold of the game.”

Following a corner kick awarded in the 32nd minute, Iona attempted its first shot of the game. Just three minutes later, on a counterattack, a blast from the Gaels narrowly missed the corner of Binghamton’s net.

Binghamton had a near-score of its own in the 40th, when a crossing corner kick found senior midfielder Calvin Moe, who headed the ball inches over the net. Neither squad registered a shot attempt for the remainder of play as the Bearcats entered halftime looking to break the deadlock.

“I thought we were decent when we lost the ball,” Marco said. “In the first half, I thought there were just a couple of individual players who could have been in better starting positions, but I felt like overall, we were pretty good in transition to press the ball.”

Coming out of the half with an aggressive press, Binghamton gained possession and forced a free kick on the outskirts of Iona’s box, after which junior forward Anthony Randazzo attempted a bicycle kick that flew over the opposing net. In the 63rd minute, following a scramble in Iona’s box, the Bearcats nearly scored once more off an attempt from junior midfielder Alex Balkey, but his shot was saved.

In the 72nd minute, Binghamton lost possession in its own backfield, allowing Iona to get on the scoreboard.

“We don’t collect on our end,” Marco said. “I mean, there are a lot of balls that we should have put in that goal, both in the first half and the second half. So, just disappointed with the outcome.”

Iona continued to control play following its score, but momentum began to shift in the Bearcats’ favor in the 76th minute. Junior forward Kevaughn Harris began an offensive onslaught with a shot on goal, and soon after, Moe saw his second shot of the night saved by the Gael’s keeper.

Binghamton continued to search for twine with a final shot from graduate student midfielder Simon Knuewe in the 87th minute, but the Bearcats failed to score as they fell 1-0 to Iona.

“I don’t think our strikers were sharp today,” Marco said. “We’ll go back and see how we prepared them a little bit. I don’t think they had the mentality and hunger to go get goals. I thought they could have been a little smarter with their movements.”

Binghamton will continue its 2025 season against Central Connecticut State on Saturday, Sept. 20. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Central Connecticut Soccer Field in New Britain, Connecticut.

“We had high-caliber associate head coaches and assistant coaches throughout the country, but during these conversations, as we looked at our guiding principles on the search, [LeBlanc’s] name kept coming to the top,” said Dennis Kalina, the University’s senior deputy director of athletics. “He was going to be the person that could really advance our program.”

During LeBlanc’s tenure at The Citadel, the Bulldogs reached newfound success in duels with 41 dual victories in five years, including a program-record 14 in 2023-24. In conference play, the Bulldogs secured 22 of their dual victories, while in the postseason, The Citadel won five individual SoCon championships. Three of these championship wins came in the 2025 season, where the Bulldogs placed second in the SoCon tournament.

The Bulldogs reached significant achievements on and off the mat under LeBlanc, with several academic accomplishments. Throughout his tenure, The Citadel produced 15 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, while also qualifying as a NWCA Scholar All-American Team twice, in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, his cadet athletes finished 25th in the nation in team GPA at 3.361, before rising to 13th in 2025 with a team GPA of 3.531.

“I think that we’re going to be rooted in values, and our kids are going to wrestle really hard,” LeBlanc said. “When you wrestle a kid from Binghamton, no matter whether we’re winning or losing, I want people to walk off the mat and know they were in a fight.”

Before taking over as head coach at The Citadel, LeBlanc worked as an assistant coach at Appalachian State from 2016 to 2020. At Appalachian State, LeBlanc worked under four-time national coach of the year finalist, head coach JohnMark Bentley.

LeBlanc helped the Mountaineers to three regular-season SoCon Championships and qualified 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for [Bentley],” LeBlanc said. “I’m still friends with him, and he shaped a lot of the way I look at the sport and some of the things I do, from an organization standpoint, from an effective management standpoint, a lot of things.”

LeBlanc looks to hit the ground running, building off a 2024-2025 season in which Binghamton went 10-9 while picking up its fifth individual Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship, courtesy of former competitor and current assistant coach Brevin Cassella.

“I can’t wait,” LeBlanc said. “I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere is and build an atmosphere that our alumni are proud of and that our kids are excited to wrestle. I think that’s going to be one of the keys for us to be really successful.”

“I thought a draw was a pretty fair result,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “We knew Cornell was going to be a good side, they were pretty good at transition, pretty good in the air and we knew they were good enough to create a couple of chances, which they did.”

The Bearcats (5-1-2) registered the first shot of the game in the third minute, with sophomore forward Alexus Worrell narrowly missing out the top. Binghamton’s next chance to score came in the 23rd minute, when junior midfielder/forward Paige Luke rattled off a shot that struck the goalpost and bounced back into play. Despite not taking the first shot, Cornell (2-2-4) had six total shots to Binghamton’s five in the first half and two shots on goal, both of which were saved by Kessler.

“[Kessler‘s] positioning has been very good in terms of how she plays angles, cuts angles down,” Bhattacharjee said. “So we can rely on her to make the routine saves, and then today we needed her to make a couple of bigger saves.”

In the second half, Cornell came out of the gate with an aggressive offensive barrage, taking two shots that Kessler once again saved in the 46th and 48th minutes of play. The Big Red attempted four more unanswered shots, three of which were on target and saved by Kessler. Sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis took Binghamton’s first shot of the half at the 75th minute, which was immediately followed by another shot attempt from Cornell during the 76th minute.

The Bearcats took just one more shot in the 88th minute, failing to register a single shot on goal as they forced a 0-0 draw. The match marked Binghamton’s second shutout this season, both of which resulted in draws.

“We were right there in terms of creating a couple very good chances,” Bhattacharjee said regarding the team’s offense. “Unfortunately, just on the day, we weren’t able to convert them to a goal.”

The Bearcats are set to begin conference play next Sunday when they take on UMBC. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton’s doubleheader against Mercyhurst and Canisius on Friday resulted in a pair of 3-0 sweeps, while its final match against Bucknell saw the Bearcats secure the crown in a 3-2 comeback victory.

“This weekend was huge for us, to be able to have three wins consecutively under our belt,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We haven’t been able to do that all season, so I think it gives confidence to the girls. It gives them a taste of winning, which we need with how young we are as a team.”

Game one saw Binghamton (4-6) take on Mercyhurst (2-8) to open the weekend’s tournament on Friday morning. In the first set, the Bearcats quickly took the lead thanks to a four-point run to go up 9-6, and they would not give up the lead for the rest of the set, winning 25-19.

Set two was a much closer battle, with Mercyhurst at one point holding a 19-14 lead. However, the Bearcats brought the match to a tie after a five-point run, thanks in part to back-to-back kills by sophomore outside hitter Briana Binagi, eventually winning the set 27-25.

The third set once again saw Binghamton take an early lead that it refused to relinquish, winning 25-19 and sweeping the Lakers. The game also marked the return of America East Preseason All-Conference selection with sophomore right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova, who racked up 31 kills over the weekend.

“We’ve been waiting a while to get her back into the starting lineup,” Yaeger said.

“This is a good weekend to play these teams and get her out there and just see what she looks like, so it’s exciting to have her back,” Yaeger continued. “The biggest thing is that she stays healthy for us.”

Game two saw the Bearcats face Canisius (1-8) later in the evening on Friday. The first set saw the two teams going back and forth, with Binghamton maintaining a slight edge over Canisius until a 9-2 run gave it a 23-14 lead, resulting in a 25-16 victory.

The second set was Binghamton’s most dominant of the season, crushing the Golden Griffins 25-9, thanks in part to seven kills from reigning AE Rookie of the Week, freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown. The third set once again saw Binghamton control the lead for most of the set, winning 25-19 and securing their second sweep of the day.

“It’s nice always to win, and it’s nice to come off two wins,” Yaeger said. “I think it was great that Bucknell came off two wins as well, so we were kind of playing for the championship match there.”

Game three was the Bearcats’ closest of the weekend, as they took on Bucknell (3-6) on Saturday in the final match of the invitational. In the first set, the Bearcats and the Bison exchanged leads multiple times before Bucknell went on a 7-3 run to close out the first set 27-25. The two teams traded the next two sets, leaving Bucknell up 2-1 going into the fourth set.

Facing an 18-14 deficit in the fourth, Binghamton proceeded to go on an 11-2 run, winning the set 25-20 and forcing a fifth. In the last set, teams traded blows until Binghamton went on a four-point run to close out the set 15-12, leaving the game with a final score of 3-2 and cementing the Bearcats as the winner of the invitational.

Coblentz-Brown, senior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic and graduate student setter Alexandra Koleva were named to the all-tournament team.

“Momentum is everything,” Yaeger said, following the victory. “I talk about that word all the time. When you get the momentum with the sport of volleyball, you can do so much stuff — it doesn’t matter how many points you’re down.”

The Bearcats are set to compete in the Michigan State Invitational next week. Tip-off for their first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan.

Binghamton (3-3-0) opened its outing with a match against host Colgate (3-1-1) on Thursday. In a game where unsavory weather limited offensive production, redshirt junior midfielder Gaven Egan quickly appeared on the stat sheet, recording the first two shots on goal of the match by the 13th minute.

The Raiders responded with a pair of attempts of their own, both of which were handily recovered by graduate student goalkeeper Daniel Shannon. The match remained scoreless as the first period drew to a close.

The Bearcats controlled possession throughout the second half while restricting Colgate to zero shot attempts, but they also struggled to create offensive threats, registering just three shots by the 80th minute.

Binghamton’s luck soured in the 83rd minute when the Raiders were awarded a penalty. After missing the penalty kick, the team scored on a rebound, bringing the score to 0-1. Eager to even the score, BU rattled off five shots in the final six minutes, including an attempt that bounced off the top post, but they could not find the game tying score.

Hoping to get back in the win column, Binghamton traveled to take on host Le Moyne (1-4-0) on Sunday. Le Moyne was quick to open its scoring book, seizing the lead on the first goal of the game in the fifth minute.

Searching for its own first score, BU applied consistent pressure in the first half, attempting six shots. However, the Bearcats were blanked as they entered the second period down a goal.

In the 65th minute, sophomore forward D.T. Megliola found junior forward Kevaughn Harris in front of an open net, and he slotted the ball in to put the Bearcats on the board. Just two minutes later, junior forward Anthony Randazzo found twine on a penalty, giving BU its first lead of the match.

Less than a minute later, Randazzo aimed to put the Dolphins out of reach when he notched a brace, giving the Bearcats a 3-1 lead. Le Moyne managed one last score in the 83rd minute, but BU held on for its third victory of the season.

Binghamton will continue its nonconference slate, hosting Iona this Saturday, Sept. 13. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton (1-6) opened the invitational on Friday night, defeating Rider (1-4) in three sets — 25-23, 25-16 and 25-17 — to earn its first victory of the campaign. The Bearcats held Rider to a mere .104 hitting percentage, and their victory was marked by significant scoring runs, going on 13-4 and 10-2 runs to end the second and third sets.

“Momentum is everything in this sport, so to have the momentum at the end of a set is crucial,” wrote Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We played error free during those final pushes at the end, which is always our goal once we hit point 20.”

On Saturday, the Bearcats took on Hofstra (4-0) in a rematch of their Aug. 31 duel at the Events Center, in which BU fell to the Pride in four sets. BU narrowly dropped the first two sets 25-23 and 25-22. Facing a 22-20 deficit and a second potential sweep loss to Hofstra in the third set, the Bearcats scored five straight to claim the set 25-22.

Despite entering the fourth set with newfound momentum, the Bearcats fell 25-19, dropping their first match of the invitational. After a strong first set in which the Bearcats hit .342 percent, they were unable to break .200 percent in the final three sets.

“We were a lot fresher this second time around with Hofstra,” Yaeger wrote. “That’s a very good and experienced Hofstra team and I’m happy that we were competitive. We are just doing our best to make changes when needed. We are a young, new squad that is deep, so it’s important to see early in the season who can get the job done.”

Closing out the invitational on Sunday, the Bearcats faced off against Army (4-2), falling in four sets. In the first set, BU held a 23-19 lead before surrendering a 6-0 run to lose the set. The Bearcats surrendered a 14-8 run to the Black Knights that tied the second set at 25-25, and brought it back to close out the set with a 27-25 win.

Holding a 22-19 lead, BU allowed a 6-1 run as they lost the third set 25-23. An 8-1 run from the Bearcats, propelled by two kills from senior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic, cemented a 10-4 lead early in the fourth set. Army, however, went on to win 15 of the following 23 points, taking a 19-18 lead that it did not relinquish as the Bearcats dropped the fourth and final set 25-21.

Leading BU’s offense over the weekend was Smajlovic, with at least 14 kills in each game, amassing a team-high 43 kills over three games. Freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown made her presence known for Binghamton with a career-high 21 kills against Army, while also accumulating 39 kills in three games.

“[Smajlovic] and [Coblentz-Brown] were outstanding this weekend,” Yaeger wrote. “They are both really starting to adapt to our offense and defense. [Smajlovic] brings such great leadership and experience, while I am just as pleased with [Coblentz-Brown] and her immediate impact she has had with us.”

Binghamton looks to grow its win count when it hosts the three-match Binghamton Invitational this weekend, where it will first take on Mercyhurst on Friday, Sept. 12. First serve is set for 10 a.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Thursday’s match against Syracuse was played in heavy rain and ended an eight-game losing streak against the Orange, while Sunday’s bout against Colgate saw Binghamton score thrice in the second half en route to a 3-2 victory.

“Generally overall, we were pretty pleased in terms of our performance,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “We’ve played Syracuse the last four years, and it’s been a one-goal loss, and the last two years we felt like we’ve pretty much been with them. But this year, going into it, we felt like we were the better team.”

Thursday’s match against Syracuse (4-1-3) saw Binghamton (5-1-1) open aggressively, searching for the back of the net by taking four shots in the first 16 minutes of the game. Syracuse responded with a couple shots of their own before Binghamton outshot Syracuse 4-2 in the last 10 minutes of the period. Despite the deadlock heading into the half, Binghamton registered four more shots on goal than Syracuse, outshooting the Orange 8-4.

“We were the aggressor right from the start of the game, put them under pressure, made it really difficult for them to play,” Bhattacharjee said. “And I’m happy with the performance and how everyone stuck to the game plan.”

The second period saw Syracuse attack Binghamton more aggressively, attempting eight shots on goal, all of which were saved by junior goalkeeper Rebecca Kessler. Kessler recorded a career-high eight saves, helping lead the Bearcats to their first defensive shutout of the season.

Despite attempting 14 shots on the night, Binghamton’s offense was unable to find the net, ending the game 0-0 for their first draw of the season.

Sunday’s game saw the Bearcats take on Colgate (1-3-3), only to quickly trail 1-0 as the Raiders found twine in the 16th minute. The Bearcats struggled offensively in the first half, registering just one shot on goal in the 40th minute. Despite the performance, they held Colgate to just one more shot through the rest of the half.

“Not really the first half we wanted,” Bhattacharjee said. “We didn’t quite play with the defensive pressure we wanted or [do] some of the things that we wanted to do as far as we were expecting to take care of in our game plan.”

After only registering one shot attempt in the first half, the second half saw Binghamton apply significant offensive pressure, with their first goal of the game coming at the 55th minute courtesy of junior midfield/forward Paige Luke. Binghamton continued to rally with another goal in the 69th minute when Luke assisted freshman defender Ale Victoriano. Colgate, however, quickly responded with a goal of their own at the 74th minute, tying the game at 2-2.

The game remained tied until the Bearcats scored at the 84th minute when Luke found sophomore forward Alexus Worrell. Colgate failed to find twine for the remainder of the match, bringing another victory for the Bearcats.

“[Luke] is doing great, I just give her so much credit for all the energy she brings,” Bhattacharjee said. “For her having had surgery last November, and then for her to come back in the type of shape she is and the work rate that she does, it’s just a big kudos to her.”

The Bearcats will look to continue their strong start to the season on Sunday, Sept. 14, when they take on Cornell. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Charles F. Berman Field in Ithaca, New York.

“We’re really young, and we have a brand new team this year,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We’re experimenting right now and we’re just trying to see what sticks. We’re throwing a lot of stuff on the wall and seeing what sticks and what doesn’t stick.”

The Bearcats (0-4) opened their season Friday, playing their first match against Fordham (3-0) and losing 3-2 in a close game. After dropping the first set 25-14, Binghamton started off the second set slow, trailing 23-19, until a second-half comeback saw the team score six straight points, ending with a 25-23 victory.

Falling 25-22 in the third set, the Bearcats eked out a 27-25 win in the fourth. However, they were unable to close the match, losing the final set at a score of 15-10.

“I mean, we fight,” Yaeger said about the team’s comeback victory in the second set. “If you saw us fresh this weekend in Friday and Saturday’s early games, we fight. We definitely are a team that fights a lot, and we have some good older leadership on the team.”

“But we have a lot of freshmen on the team too that need to learn the culture, and that is to fight, and that is to win,” she continued.

Game two was part of a doubleheader for the Bearcats on Saturday. In the first match, they faced the University of Connecticut (3-0), where they lost yet another close game 3-2.

Binghamton won its first set against the Huskies 25-23, before dropping the next two at 25-18 and 25-11. The team once again forced a fourth set with another 25-23 win, only to lose in the final set 15-9.

Game three was played later that day against Lehigh (2-1), wrapping up the Bearcat Classic tournament. Despite dropping all three sets, the Bearcats managed to keep things close, particularly in the third and final set, extending the frame and losing 26-24.

Despite Binghamton’s losses in the tournament, Olmstead was named to the Bearcat Classic All-Tournament Team after recording 20 kills, 10 block assists and three digs over three games.

“I thought [Olmstead] did a great job stepping up to the plate and really coming through for us in the middle of this weekend, and that goes for a lot of our freshmen,” Yaeger said.

To close out the weekend, Binghamton played an additional game on Sunday against Hofstra (1-0), hoping to take home a win after three straight losses. However, the Bearcats failed to win a single set, losing 3-0 and ending the weekend with another defeat.

Leading the squad in kills for the final three matches of the weekend was Smajlovic, who totaled 51 kills and 48 digs over the opening weekend. She led the team in kills in three of its four games, including in Sunday’s loss against Hofstra.

“[Smajlovic] right now is one of our go-to players,” Yaeger commented. “She’s great in six rotations, her defense makes such a difference for us in the back row and even her attacking at times in the back row is huge. She plays a huge role for us. I think she’s such a great leader, too, for our younger players to look up to her and see what kind of player they want to become from her.”

Binghamton will continue its season at the Black Knight Invitational, taking on Rider this Friday, Sept. 5. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Gillis Field House in West Point, New York.

Binghamton (0-2-0) began its season with a trip to Boston College (1-0-0) on Thursday night. Sophomore goalkeeper Connor Cresswell quickly got to work, saving a close-range shot in the second minute. BU saw its first shot of the game come in the 19th minute, but the attempt went wide as the match remained scoreless.

The Eagles were first to strike, taking a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute, as BU failed to register a shot attempt through the rest of the first half.

“There are a couple of guys that are giving guys way too much space on the field,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “Once we sort that out, I think the game will be tighter for us. It was better against Boston College than it was [against George Washington].”

Eager to even the score, the Bearcats continued to apply pressure to open the second half. Still, they struggled to create threatening offensive opportunities, attempting only two shots through the 84th minute.

BU nearly found twine in the 85th minute when sophomore forward D.T. Megliola blasted a volley from the center of the box, but a diving save kept the Bearcats off the scoreboard as they suffered their first defeat of the season.

“I thought that we grew into the game,” Marco said. “We finished the game on a better note than we did starting the game, so that was really good. We got better as the game went on.”

Looking to rebound from a close loss in its opener, Binghamton traveled to Washington, D.C. to take on George Washington (1-1-0) on Sunday. The Bearcats nearly found themselves trailing in the third minute when a Revolutionaries shot rattled off the left post, but GWU still scored its opening goal just six minutes later.

The Bearcats created a slew of offensive opportunities, attempting eight shots and six corners, but they were held scoreless as they entered the half facing a 1-0 deficit once more.

The Bearcats’ misfortune continued in the second half when a strike in the 59th minute gave GWU a commanding 2-0 lead. BU finally got on the scoreboard in the 75th minute when sophomore back Ryan Gillon tapped the ball toward junior midfielder Alex Balkey, who slid in, blasting a g into the back of the net. The Bearcats’ comeback was short-lived, however, as the revolutionaries responded with a score of their own in the 76th minute, cementing a 3-1 loss for BU.

“Today, we literally shot ourselves in the foot,” Marco said. “We were on top of the game pretty much the entire second half, and we give a ball to them twice, behind our back line, that they go in on the goalkeeper by themselves.”

Binghamton looks to secure its first win of the 2025 campaign in its home opener this Thursday, Aug. 28, against Mount St. Mary’s. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Following a significant investment into the project by Visions Federal Credit Union, the new facility will be named the Visions Federal Credit Union Track & Field Facility. Additional funding for the project was provided by New York state and Binghamton University’s divisions of student affairs and athletics.

“Binghamton is committed to providing its student-athletes and fans with the very best facilities in the America East,” President Harvey Stenger said in a statement to bubearcats.com. “We have a proud tradition of developing athletes who go on to compete at the national and international level, and the renovations to the track-and-field complex will further the University’s reputation as a leader in intercollegiate athletics.”

The improvements to the facility, which had not seen a major update in the 30 years since its opening, will help the stadium to meet current NCAA Division I standards for track and field facilities. Expected updates include replacing the track, overhauling the long jump, triple jump and pole vault area and a variety of general upgrades to the facility, including updated lighting, stands, safety features and a new scoreboard.

“Men’s and women’s track-and-field teams make up Binghamton’s largest NCAA Division I cohort, with approximately 100 student-athletes,” Director of Athletics Eugene Marshall Jr. said in a statement to bubearcats.com. “The upgrades will aid Binghamton in recruiting top athletes who combine their passion for sports with a desire for an exceptional education. And, with the majority of track-and-field student-athletes being in-state recruits, the economic and community impact is significant when their families and friends attend meets.”

The new facility is part of a campus-wide construction project aimed at improving the school’s resources for the entire student body. Work on the facility is set to begin in spring 2026.

“Overall, [I’m] pretty pleased with the performance,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee about Thursday’s game. “I thought the pressure on the ball, different areas of the field, was pretty good. Scored a couple of good goals.”

Binghamton (2-1-0) began its week with a home opener against St. Bonaventure (0-1-1) on Thursday afternoon. BU quickly got on the board after gaining possession in the opposing box before sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis buried the ball in the top left corner.

The Bearcats continued to dictate the pace of play and control possession, while hounding the Bonnies’ net as six different Bearcats registered shot attempts by the 26th minute. Binghamton continued its domination through the remainder of the first half play as the Bearcats held a 10-0 shot advantage entering the second half.

“[Shot selection] is something that we talked about at halftime, and so I think we can take our chances a little bit better,” Bhattacharjee said. “And the other thing too, especially in the first half, we were just settling for low percentage shots, things from 30, 35 yards out where we really weren’t under pressure. We could just keep the ball, knock it and then just continue to play good soccer.”

Picking up where they left off in the first half, the Bearcats attacked St. Bonaventure’s net with three unanswered shots. In the 57th minute, Davis found herself controlling the ball as she approached the final third of the field, and she embarked on a 50-yard run, dribbling past several Bonnies before slotting it in the back of the net for her second career brace.

St. Bonaventure opened its scoring book in the 73rd minute. While the Bonnies continued to search for their equalizer, the Bearcats held them to just one shot through the remainder of play for a second consecutive victory.

“When I play, I try not to think, so I just go with the flow,” Davis said regarding her second goal on Thursday. “I heard one of my coaches say, ‘Really go at her,’ so that’s what I did, and it ended up in the net.”

Sunday’s contest saw the Bearcats take on Monmouth (2-2-0), and they once again opened the match with significant offensive pressure, rattling off three consecutive shot attempts between the fifth and sixth minute of play. BU continued to attack the Hawks’ net when junior midfield/forward Paige Luke nearly found twine in the 15th minute.

The teams continued to search for the opening score throughout the first half, but neither squad was successful as the Bearcats entered the second half losing the shot battle 8-6.

“In many facets we can be pleased with the effort today,” Bhattacharjee told bubearcats.com. “But of course ultimately we are disappointed with the result. We have a lot of respect for Monmouth as they’re perennially one of the top teams in the region. They had stretches of the game and we had stretches as well.”

The Bearcats opened the second half with a barrage of attempts, registering five shots on goal while blanking the Hawks through the 65th minute. Monmouth soon responded with a flurry of its own, rattling off three unanswered shot attempts before the fourth attempt found twine, breaking the deadlock in the 70th minute. The Hawks scored once more in the 78th minute as the Bearcats stared down the barrel of a 2-0 deficit.

The Bearcats attempted to build back some momentum, and they nearly scored in the 82nd minute when a shot from Davis bounced off the woodwork. Ultimately, they were held scoreless for the rest of the game, suffering their first defeat of the season.

Binghamton will continue its road trip with a matchup against Marist on Thursday, Aug. 28, as it looks to bounce back from the first loss of the season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field in Poughkeepsie, New York.

In addition to the $22 million donation, Binghamton will also receive $11 million through the SUNY University Center Endowment Match program, which approved up to $500 million in state funds to match 50 percent of private donations to the endowments of SUNY Albany, Binghamton, Stony Brook and the University at Buffalo from 2023 to 2026.

Previously, Binghamton received $18.75 million in funding through the Endowment Match program to help establish the Binghamton Achievement Scholarship, which began during the 2023-24 academic year and provides 25 scholarships to incoming freshmen per year. The $33 million gift marked Binghamton Athletics’ second multi-million dollar anonymous donation this decade, after receiving $60 million to construct the Bearcats Baseball Complex in 2020.

A settlement composed of three class action lawsuits against the NCAA, known as the “House settlement,” was signed by a judge in June. Under the settlement, which began enforcement on July 1, approximately $2.78 billion in back pay for athletes will be paid by the NCAA over 10 years.

In the wake of the settlement, BU’s athletics department faced a shifting college athletics landscape, including an estimated $310,000 withholding from its annual budget to cover damages, a new revenue-sharing system established by the NCAA and lifting restrictions on athletic scholarships and roster construction. The settlement calls for roster limits that will eventually translate to full scholarship eligibility for all student athletes in NCAA Division I.

The $33 million endowment will create the equivalent of 40 full athletic scholarships, which will be equally divided between men’s and women’s sports. As Binghamton elected not to opt in to the new NCAA revenue-sharing scholarship model, the 40 scholarships will help bring a majority of Bearcat programs to their current NCAA maximum scholarship level.

Headlining the incoming freshman class is Binghamton’s third-highest rated recruit in program history, freshman guard Jayden Kelsey. He was ranked a three-star recruit by 247sports.com after averaging 10 points per game as a junior at Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The final freshman commit is freshman guard Jake Blackburn, who ranked the 49th recruit in New England by newenglandrecruitingreport.com.

BU’s class also includes four transfers from Division I NCAA Programs. Senior center Demetrius Lilley joins the Bearcats from La Salle, where he averaged 7.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds in his junior year. A former three-star recruit rated by rivals.com, junior guard Jeremiah Quigley will look to rebound from an off year at George Mason, where he scored just 1.2 points per game, and replicate his freshman season at Iona, where he averaged 10.8 points.

Junior guard Bryson Wilson joins BU after averaging 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game during his sophomore campaign at Buffalo. Rounding off the Division I transfers is redshirt freshman guard Nevin Ibroci, transferring from Oral Roberts.

Three transfers from NCAA Division II joined Binghamton’s incoming class. Transferring from Fort Valley State is forward Sayerr Senghore, who scored 13.1 points per game while shooting 57 percent from the field in his 19 appearances during the 2024-2025 season. Junior guard Ryan Richardson joins Binghamton after a single season at NJCAA Missouri State-West Plains, where he averaged 11 points and a team-leading three assists per game. Rounding out Binghamton’s incoming class is junior forward Zyier Beverly, who averaged 10.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game at NJCAA East Los Angeles College during its 2024-2025 season, ending the season 27-3.

Binghamton’s incoming class looks to build off a 2024-2025 campaign in which BU went 15-17.

“I thought that when we got moments where we could be able to pressure Lehigh and do it with effective and organized stuff first, it really made them uncomfortable and led us in our attack in transition,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “But there were times during the course of the game when we let off a little bit, especially in the second half of the first half.”

Binghamton (1-0-0) quickly established its lead when junior midfield/forward Paige Luke, playing in her first match back since a season-ending injury in 2024, blasted a shot into the top corner in the first attempt of the game. Lehigh (0-2-0) attempted to apply pressure to Binghamton’s back line, but the Mountain Hawks were unable to mount a significant offensive attack.

A scramble in the 25th minute of play saw Binghamton almost double its scoring tally, rattling off four shot attempts that did not find twine. BU’s favor appeared to persist in the 32nd minute when Lehigh failed to convert a penalty kick opportunity, but the Mountain Hawks pounced on the rebound to even the score. The Bearcats’ offense continued to push the field, creating several threatening chances, but both squads were unable to register a shot on goal for the remainder of the first half of play.

“I’m sure you saw today, [Luke] just covers so much ground and does so much work,” Bhattacharjee said. “How she presses, how she takes people one v. one like she did on the goal in the early part of the game today. She does so much to progress the team.”

On a day when 19 BU players saw the field, the Bearcats substituted seven starters back onto the field to start the second half of play. The offense quickly got to work when a foul against sophomore forward Jahkaya Davis awarded them a penalty kick opportunity. After a missed attempt from junior defense/forward Megan Baker, sophomore forward Alexus Worrell jumped on the rebound and buried the ball in the back of the net as BU snatched back the lead.

“I thought [Worrell] had a pretty good game overall,” Bhattacharjee said. “Consistent good amount of work rate, she’s a strong physical presence up top, was able to follow the penalty kick to score the game-winning goal for us. She’s someone that had a little bit of health concerns her freshman year that was able to limit her impact on the field, but she’s coming off a really good spring and had a good preseason.”

Binghamton almost grew its lead to two in the 53rd minute when a shot by Baker rattled off the top post. Despite only holding a one-goal lead, the Bearcats’ back line dictated play throughout the remainder of the match, holding Lehigh to just two shots on goal throughout the entire second half as they picked up their first victory of the 2025 campaign.

“Probably on the day we were good enough to score a third, potentially a fourth goal,” Bhattacharjee said. “At the end of the day, we’re happy with the result and we’ll move on from here and get ready for St. Bonaventure on Thursday.”

Binghamton will continue its season with its home opener this Thursday, Aug. 21, against St. Bonaventure. Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Following a 2024 season in which he lost five weeks of the season from an injury, Rogacki had a standout 2025 campaign, earning America East all-conference honors. Starting in all 55 games for the Bearcats, he saw action primarily at catcher, while also appearing as a DH and outfielder. His 2025 season saw him lead the AE in doubles and sacrifice bunts with 17 and 11, respectively.

“I’m so happy for [Rogacki] to get this opportunity to chase his dream of playing professional baseball … and he deserves it,” Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki told bubearcats.com. “[Rogacki] has proven himself to be a tireless worker and outstanding competitor who will represent the Rockies with class and integrity no matter what is asked of him.”

Rogacki was instrumental in Binghamton’s AE championship campaign, securing eight hits and six RBI for the No. 3 seed Bearcats’ upset against No. 1 seed Bryant. He was also awarded the AE Elite 18 Award for receiving a 3.75 GPA. After transferring from NCAA Division III Alvernia following his sophomore season, Rogacki hit .346 and amassed 100 hits in two years as a Bearcat.

Binghamton’s highest drafted position player in 35 years, Rogacki follows Nick Roselli ‘24, the second baseman who was drafted to the New York Mets last year.

This is a developing story, and it will be updated.

A Broome County native, Bump’s path to becoming Binghamton Softball’s head coach began in 2011 with her freshman year as a student athlete on the Binghamton softball team. During her four-year playing career, Bump was named to two first-team America East teams and one Eastern College Athletic Conference first-team.

Within a year of graduating, she became a graduate assistant coach on a Kentucky squad that qualified for the NCAA Super Regionals. The following year, Bump worked as the top assistant softball coach at Lafayette, during which Lafayette broke the program record for fielding percentage.
With two years of Division I coaching experience under her belt, Bump returned to Binghamton in 2017, where she was Binghamton’s top assistant softball coach. In August 2021, she was named the program’s head coach.
After improving the Bearcats’ AE record from 6-11 to 7-8 during her first year under tenure, the program made large strides in 2023, finishing 13-7 in AE play. Bump oversaw the program’s best finish under her leadership in 2024 with a 14–6 AE record, while capturing a share of the America East regular season championship before falling short in the playoffs.

While Binghamton opened the 2025 season with a 14-9 record in non-conference play, the Bearcats got off to an unassuming 3-2 start in conference play. BU, however, executed a nearly spotless second half of the season, finishing with a 13-0 record in AE play and a 3-1 record in non-conference play.

The Bearcats continued to dominate during the AE playoffs, winning all three matches while outscoring opponents 16-4 and capturing the program’s second-ever AE Championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Binghamton’s historic year saw Bump earn her second consecutive AE softball Coach of the Year, also being named the ECAC Softball Coach of the Year.

Binghamton’s presence in the AE awards would not stop with Bump, as the Bearcats swept the major awards: sophomore infielder Elisa Allen as Player of the Year; junior pitcher Brianna Roberts as Pitcher of the Year; and freshman infielder Rachel Carey as Rookie of the Year. At the Division I level, Allen and junior catcher Emma Lawson ranked highly — Allen finished fourth in the country with 0.46 home runs per game and Lawson finished No. 11 in sacrifice flies with six.

BU also saw recognition nationally, finishing the year ranked No. 17 in the D1Softball.com Mid-Major Poll and No. 77 in Division I RPI. Binghamton also finished No. 20 in the nation with 1.36 home runs per game and No. 33 with a 2.80 team ERA. Its 68 home runs were good for first in program history and its .720 winning percentage and 36 wins were first and second-best, respectively.

Binghamton earned the No. 3 seed in the four-team, double-elimination Oregon regionals, but BU struggled at times during the event, dropping its first match against No. 16 nationally ranked Stanford 9-2 and being eliminated by Weber State in a close 7-4 battle. Despite not winning a game at the NCAA Tournament, an appearance this early in Bump’s coaching career displays that BU softball is a presence on the national stage, and we look forward to following Bump as she continues to build the program.

As a true freshman in 2024, Allen started 33 games and appeared in 39, slugging seven home runs and 23 RBIs and sporting a .545 slugging percentage. Allen’s 2024 campaign earned her a nod on the AE All-Rookie Team, and despite her strong rookie campaign, Allen’s game saw even more improvements this year.

Allen told Pipe Dream about her growth in the 2025 season.

“Honestly, just the mental game,” Allen said. “I think I became more confident in myself, and honestly, that was the biggest change, and I started to trust the coaches more and communicate with them more, which also led to a lot more jumps.”
Allen led the AE with 23 home runs, 56 RBIs, a 1.298 OPS and an .852 slugging percentage. Her 23 home runs accounted for the second most in a season in the AE and the Binghamton program record, and her 56 RBIs in a season ranked fourth in AE history and first in BU program history. Sporting 0.46 home runs per game, Allen ranked fifth in the country, while her .852 slugging percentage placed 26th in the nation.

“It’s been great, honestly,” Allen said. “All the girls are so welcoming, the coaches are awesome in themselves and it’s just such a good environment to work in, and obviously the academics are really good. So, all around it’s been a great few years there and I’m so excited to be staying there for another few more years.”

Allen’s 2025 campaign saw her earn three AE Player of the Week nods and be named first-team all-conference and the AE Player of the Year. Allen also saw recognition outside the conference, being selected to the NFCA All-Northeast Region third-team.

After starting in all 45 regular season games for the Bearcats, including a 5-for-7 four home run performance in a doubleheader at Maine and a four home run and 12 RBI performance in a doubleheader at Colgate, Allen led the Bearcats to a victory in the opening match of the AE conference tournament after slugging a game-tying home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Although she was held hitless through the rest of the tournament, Allen would continue to get on base in the NCAA tournament, securing a walk and HBP against No. 2 Stanford and a single in BU’s season-ending loss at No. 4 Weber State.

“[The NCAA Tournament] was the coolest thing ever,” Allen said. “I think we were all starstruck being there. Honestly, we figured out we could really compete with the best teams in the nation at that point, and it was just so cool to be there.”

On the heels of being named the AE Softball Player of the Year and winning an AE championship, Allen still possesses two years of NCAA eligibility. She said she hopes to take advantage of this opportunity by taking more of a leadership role in the team as the program looks to continue to establish itself on the national scene.

“I’m trying to be more of a leader, personally, and trying to show it more outwardly towards everybody,” Allen said. “We have a lot of people coming in next year, so I want to kind of be one of the people that they can trust. Personally, I want to be more of a leader and get myself mentally stronger and learn the game more so I can pass that on to the other groups coming in.”

“I feel like I worked pretty hard for [the award],” Johnson said. “This year, the year I had and just the build up to this, I’m excited and fortunate to have received that.”

Johnson earned multiple America East nods throughout the season, being named the Men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer for his win in the 400 hurdles and anchoring the winning 4×400 relay team at the America East Outdoor Meet, which took place from May 3 to May 4. On April 15, he was also named the America East Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

Along with the awards, Johnson earned gold in numerous events this season, including the triple jump at the America East Indoor Championships, the 200 at the Gulden Invitational and the 400 hurdles at the Colonial Relays.

“I feel like [my season] was really good,” Johnson said. “I think it was a culmination of just a whole bunch of years kind of put together. All that progress, all that training and learning kind of finally meshed into the perfect alignment. I stuck to my guns, and everything, it made sense this year.”

Entering this year, Johnson came off back-to-back successful seasons. In his junior year, he won the 200 meter at the Cornell Upstate Indoor Challenge, and in his senior season, he took home gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the America East Outdoor Championships. He was named to multiple honor rolls in both seasons.

Despite putting up two incredibly successful seasons, Johnson continued to improve, having an even better season this year. He told Pipe Dream about the mindset he and his coach had coming into the season.

“The motto was essentially, ‘complete the story,’” Johnson said. “’You came on as a walk on, barely made the team, and that story was cool, but how cool would it be to make it to Nationals?’ Throughout the practice, throughout the training, that was kind of the motto, complete the story and just finish out strong.”

This was Johnson’s last season of eligibility to compete for Binghamton, and he finished out strong for the Bearcats. Among BU’s all-time program records, Johnson stands at seventh in the 400 hurdles with a time of 53.94, seventh in the long jump with a distance of 23-6 and third in the triple jump with a distance of 49-5 1/2, as of summer 2023. He was also a part of the distance medley relay team that holds the fifth all-time spot in Binghamton program history with a time of 9:48.54.

Johnson named his performance at the America East Outdoor Meet as his most memorable moment from the season.

“[It] would just be the regional meet, being that it was my last opportunity to compete with the team as a whole,” Johnson said. “We finished out with a four by four that we won it, we weren’t seeded to win it, so finishing it just the way I started with guys was ending on a high note, [earning] track performer of the meet, which was great.”

“And I think that was just a time that the team was all together, good vibes, good energy,” he continued.

In his second appearance at the NCAA East Region Meet qualifier, Johnson shattered his previous PR in the 400 hurdles, placing seventh with a time of 49.93 and earning a berth to the NCAA Track and Field Championships. At the Championships, Johnson’s collegiate career came to a close as he finished in 22nd place with a time of 52.57, earning honorable mention All-American honors for the first time.

“[I’m] a little disappointed with both games, we couldn’t protect the lead the way we needed to, and we couldn’t,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “In yesterday’s game, we couldn’t expand the lead, which would have helped.”

Binghamton (21-21, 9-9 AE) beat Navy (25-23, 14-11 Patriot) to the punch in the first game of the series on Friday. In the top of the second, the Bearcats scored two, the first from an RBI single by freshman first baseman/pitcher Steven Kraus and the second coming on a Navy wild pitch. The Midshipmen scored a run of their own in the second, before graduate student first baseman Freddy Forgione hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth to give Binghamton a 4-1 lead.

In the sixth, Navy fought back to tie the game at 4-4. Binghamton again stretched out a narrow lead, with an RBI single by senior catcher Zach Rogacki in the seventh scoring one and an RBI triple by sophomore infielder Todd Abraham in the eighth scoring two to make the game 7-4. However, the Midshipmen scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth, walking off game one with a final score of 9-7. Sophomore pitcher Hayden Tarsia started the game, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out two.

“We just didn’t do a good job coming out of the bullpen, our guys need to execute a little better,” Sinicki said. “Coming out of the bullpen is a little bit of an art form, you’ve got to be able to have the ability and the nerve. There’s a lot of things that go into coming out of the bullpen into a critical situation.

“You’ve got to have really good focus and you’ve got to be able to execute your pitches, and I just think we failed in that area,” he continued.

The second game of the series played out similarly for the Bearcats. The only offense for Binghamton came in the top of the fourth, when Forgione launched a two-run homer to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead. The Binghamton pitching staff could hold Navy at bay for only so long, giving up a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to give the Midshipmen a 3-2 lead. Ultimately, the Bearcats were unable to muster any more offense and dropped the final game.

Graduate student pitcher Ryan Packard started the game for the Bearcats, pitching five innings, allowing a run and a walk and striking out one. Throughout the entire weekend, the Bearcat staff pitched to a 6.18 ERA, while the hitters slashed just .231.

“We had a chance to kind of break it open early in the game and came up short,” Sinicki said. “The number of hits that you get in a game is only important if you can score runs off of those hits. It’s hard when you leave as many guys on base as we do. Sometimes, and I understand it, sometimes guys want to be so successful and they want to do something that really helps the team, they kind of just go outside of what they should be doing and make things more difficult than they need to.”

“We had a couple chances yesterday to make plays on both offense and defense to win that game, and we just didn’t do it when we needed to,” he continued. “If we want to make a good run here at the end heading into the America East tournament, we’ve got to be better than we were this weekend.”

After a matchup against Marist scheduled for Tuesday was canceled, the baseball team will be back in action on Friday, May 9 in a three-game series against Maine. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Mahaney Diamond in Orono, Maine.

“I felt that we performed really well,” said Binghamton head coach Mike Thompson. “The team score wasn’t as high as we have been in the past, but the individuals we had performed really well.”

“We had some injuries, and we were missing some people, and the women’s team was very young, and that’s why the score wasn’t as high, but I couldn’t be happier with the actual performances of the people who were there,” he continued.

Graduate student Marcus Johnson finished first in the 400 hurdles for the second year in a row with a program record of 50.49. He also won silver in the triple jump with a distance of 48-0. Johnson finished the weekend being named the Men’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete, and his time for the 400 hurdles is currently ranked No. 11 in NCAA East Region rankings.

Sophomore Brennan Delany tallied 7,049 points in the decathlon, earning him gold and the Men’s Rookie of the Meet. Rounding out the men’s individual first-place finishes for the Bearcats was graduate student Josh Stone, who finished the 5,000 at 14:15.73.

“[Johnson] in the 400 hurdles PR’d by three or almost four tenths of a second, so that was fantastic,” Thompson said. “He’s one of the top runners in the country right down in the 400 hurdles, so that was great. Josh Stone in the 5K, he’s had some races this year where his body’s just not cooperating with him and he’s fighting through it, and he’s a really tough competitor, but it was really nice to see him finally have a race where he just felt really good.”

Continuing the Bearcats’ success was the men’s 4×400 team, who beat the odds and took home gold with a time of 3:10.88, courtesy of Johnson, graduate student Oliver Madariaga, senior Joe Cardascia, and junior Samson Joseph. Redshirt sophomore Brian Luciano won silver in the hammer throw with a distance of 210-6 and fourth in the discus with 152-10, while sophomore Putu Sutayasa recorded a distance of 23-4, placing third.

On the women’s side, senior Jennifer Mui brought home gold in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 10:17.89, currently No. 31 in the East Region. Taking silver in the 1,500 was freshman Anna Gansrow, finishing at 4:40.50.

Freshman Savanna Edwards took home bronze in the 400 hurdles at 1:01.94. Three Bearcats made the top five at the pole vault: junior Alyssa Armitage in second with a distance of 12-7.5; sophomore Tatum Norris in third with 12-1.5; and freshman Siena Jacobson in fifth with 11-1.75.

“I thought [Mui’s] performance was, again, fantastic,” Thompson said. “That was like a 15-second PR or somewhere around there, or 17 seconds, I think it was, which is a huge amount of time to take off in a 3,000-meter steeplechase. It’s a time that will probably qualify her for regionals, so on the women’s side, that was the performance of the meet.”

Three Bearcats on the women’s team finished fourth in their events: junior Sydney Leitner in the 10,000 at 36:56.10; Norris in the 400 dash at 55.44; and sophomore Dami Modupe in the 100 hurdles at 14.20.

Eight Bearcats were named to the Men’s All-Conference team: Stone, Johnson, Delany, Luciano, Sutayasa, Madariaga, Joseph and Cardascia. Mui, Armitage, Norris, Gansrow and Edwards were named to the Women’s All-Conference team.

The Bearcats are set to compete in the ECAC/IC4A Championships from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 18. The first event is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the George Mason Stadium in Fairfax, Virginia.

“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.”

“Obviously, I was proud of the way we fought and thought we showed a lot of heart,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin McKeown. “In the end, just ended up one short on the scoreboard.”

“We were able to get the lead with six minutes left, but unfortunately, couldn’t hold on to it and couldn’t get the ball in overtime and credit to them, they scored a good goal there,” he continued.

The Bulldogs (10-5, 5-1 AE) were first to find net, going up 1-0 early in the first quarter. Bryant soon found another score, building its lead to 2-0. Binghamton (5-9, 3-3 AE) continued to search for its opening score, rattling off three consecutive shot attempts, but it was Bryant who found net yet again.

BU opened its scorebook after winning the ensuing face-off, and graduate student attack/midfielder Liam Ferris found twine.

“We talk about it a lot in terms of just trying to be resilient and respond to adversity,” McKeown said. “Lacrosse is a game of runs, so we knew at some point they were going to have some momentum and go on a run, and I guess unfortunately it was to start the game, so we were kind of playing from behind a little bit.”

In the second quarter, the Bearcats got on the board first when Ferris found sophomore long stick midfielder Nolan Sharkey, who buried it in the back of the net to make it a 3-2 game. Bryant would control possession while scoring consecutive goals to take a 5-2 lead. Senior attack Dan Garone responded with a score for the Bearcats, but another pair of scores from the Bulldogs saw Binghamton trail 7-3. However, a score from sophomore midfielder Riley Jenkins as time expired saw the Bearcats enter the half trailing by three.

“I thought we battled the face-off,” McKeown said. “I think the stats maybe didn’t quite show. I mean, we won a few right back after they had won it. So I thought we really scrapped for some possessions there and that was a focus going in.”

The third quarter opened with a nearly seven-and-a-half-minute scoring drought that junior midfielder Colin Delay ended when he found twine at 7:28. A retaliatory score from Bryant made it a 5-8 game, but Delay found twine once again. With 1:01 remaining in the third quarter, Ferris lit up the scoreboard as the Bearcats entered the final period of play down by one.

“I thought the defense played well,” McKeown said. “To hold a team like that to nine in four quarters, 10 with overtime. They’re a good offense.”

“So I was proud of the way our defense played, them combined with [senior goalie Connor Winters],” he continued.

Bryant opened the fourth quarter with six consecutive shots, but was unable to find a score. After three unsuccessful shot attempts, Delay found twine, securing a hat-trick and notching the score at 8-8.

Soon after, a Bulldogs score was overturned and senior attack Gage Adams found net to give the Bearcats their first lead of the day. Bryant finally got one past Winters at the 4:14 mark and both squads were held scoreless through the rest of play, forcing a golden-goal overtime period. After winning the opening face-off, Bryant found twine, as BU fell 10-9.

“I thought our seniors did a great job leading this team all year,” McKeown said. “I told the guys that after the game, I thought they really believed and they were really building over their four years here.”

The loss brings Binghamton’s 2025 campaign to an end, as they fell short of qualifying for the AE Finals. However, several Bearcats found success this year. Delay and Sharkey were named to the AE All-Tournament Team for their performances in the semifinal matchup. Ferris, sophomore attack Andrew Girolamo and senior defender Lorenzo Ramos all earned first team All-Conference honors.

“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.