ORONO, MAINE ? Second-seeded University at Albany earned its second-straight America East Softball Championship with a 5-2 victory over Boston University on Saturday afternoon at University of Maine's Kessock Field. The Great Danes capture the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will learn their opponent on Sunday evening's selection show live on ESPNews at 3:30 p.m.
The Terriers, attempting to become to the first No. 4 seed to win the conference championship, staved off elimination twice in the final day of four-team, double-elimination tournament. Boston U. started the day with a 2-1 victory over UMBC in the semifinal contest that began on Friday night, but was halted after four innings due to darkness. By virtue of that victory, the Terriers earned the right to play Albany in the title event.
The Great Danes needed to win just one of the two potential title games as they advanced through the winner's bracket of the tournament, while Boston U. had to win both contests in order to capture the title. With their backs against the wall, the Terriers took the first of two title games over Albany, 3-1, forcing a final must-win championship match-up for both squads.
The Great Danes scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie before going on to clinch the title with a 5-2 win over the Terriers. Junior right-hander Casey Halloran, the America East Pitcher of the Year, pitched all 26 innings of play for Albany in the tournament enroute to being named the event's Most Outstanding Player. Halloran posted a 3-1 record in the Great Danes four games with a 1.62 earned run average, allowing just 14 hits and six earned runs with 31 strikeouts.
Halloran was joined on the All-Championship Team by teammates Maegan Larsen, Amber Maisonet and Ali Meacham, Boston University's Cassidi Hardy, Christy Leath and Brandi Shields, Maine's Jenna Balent and Erin Provost and UMBC's Melanie Denischuk and Ashlea Underwood.