‘Cats bats tame Bears Binghamton wins 3rd game

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ORONO – The Binghamton University softball team didn’t look anything like a strong offensive team in Friday’s doubleheader losses to the University of Maine.

The Bearcats’ slump would be short-lived.

Binghamton broke loose for nine hits, including a home run and three doubles, in a 5-1 victory over the Black Bears Saturday afternoon at windy Kessock Field.

Maine (15-14, 3-3 in America East) managed only five hits and struggled defensively for the first time in the three-game series against Binghamton, but the Black Bears were happy to take two of three from the Bearcats after winning one of three against Stony Brook last week.

Binghamton (10-11-1, 3-2) sits in third place in the conference while Maine is fourth.

“It was good momentum to win two [Friday] going into [Saturday],” Maine shortstop Brittany Cheney said. “But we’ll take two wins.”

The Bearcats erased a 1-0 Maine lead in the third inning when Jessica Chellis hit her second homer of the season, a two-run shot that hit the foul pole in left field.

But the game seemed to turn on a defensive play in the top of the fourth inning.

With one out, Binghamton’s Christine Sweeney struck out but reached first on a passed ball. She advanced to second on a Rose Barre groundout and stole third as relief pitcher Sarah Bennis walked Leigh Ann Savidge.

Savidge tried to steal second but got caught in a rundown between Cheney and first baseman Nicole Taylor. Taylor eventually tagged out Savidge, but umpire Bill Lawler ruled that Sweeney had crossed home plate before the tag.

“I think that was a big turning point in the game,” Cheney said. “It turned the momentum around to their side.”

Maine committed its first errors of the series, although the three miscues didn’t hurt too much as all five runs were earned.

The Black Bears looked good early as they moved runners around to take a lead in the first inning. Cheney reached on an error and advanced to second on a Jess Brady bunt single. Cheney stole third and scored on a Molly McKinney bunt single.

But the Bears left the bases loaded in that inning and stranded eight overall.

“They just plain outhit us,” UMaine coach Deb Smith said. “Yeah, we had a couple defensive miscues, but that wasn’t the difference in the game. We had some opportunities early on in the game to score some runs, weren’t able to execute and push some runs across.”

Binghamton struggled defensively in both games. But considering how well the Bearcats hit the ball Saturday, the miscues didn’t matter.

The ‘Cats got back-to-back RBI doubles in the sixth inning.

“I think it was one of those things where once one person starts to hit, it’s contagious,” Bearcats coach Holly Brown said. “[Friday] it was the bottom of the order. [Saturday] it was the top of the order and that was key, too. The top of the order did what it needed to do.”

Katie Hansen earned the win with three strikeouts and two walks after losing the first game Friday.

Maine’s Candace Jaegge picked up the loss. She gave up five hits and two runs in three innings.

BEARCATS 5, BLACK BEARS 1

(Saturday Afternoon)

Binghamton (10-11-1) Maine (15-14)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Barre, ss 4 0 1 0 Cheney, ss 3 1 0

Savidge, rf 2 0 0 0 Brady, cf 4 0 0

Vitello, 2b 4 2 1 0 Dulkis, 3b 4 0 0

Chellis, c 3 1 1 2 McKinney, dh 3 0 1

Dima, cf 4 1 1 1 Grimm, rf 2 0 0

Eppolito, 3b 4 0 2 1 Taylor, 1b 3 0 0

DeStasio, dh 4 0 2 0 Provost, lf 3 0 0

Yerdon, 1b 3 0 0 0 Tibbetts, c 2 0 0

Sweeney, lf 3 1 1 0 Asadoorian, 2b 3 0 0

Totals 31 5 9 4 Totals 27 1 6 1

Binghamton 002 120 0 ? 5

Maine 100 000 0 ? 1

E?Barre, Vitello; Dulkis, Taylor, Asadoorian; LOB?Binghamton 9, Maine 8; 2B?Vitello, Dimo, Eppolito; HR?Chellis (2); S?Chellis; Tibbetts; SB?Barre, DeStasio, Sweeney; Cheney, Brady, McKinney

Binghamton IP H R ER BB SO

Hansen (W,6-6) 7 6 1 0 2 3

Maine IP H R ER BB SO

Jaegge (L,8-4) 3 5 2 2 1 2

Bennis 1 1/3 4 3 3 1 1

Merchant 2 2/3 0 0 0 0 1

HBP?Yerdon by Merchant; PB?Tibbetts; T?2:14; ATT?100 (est.)