STONY BROOK, N.Y – Top-seeded Stony Brook and third-seeded Binghamton each got clutch hits from an all-conference outfielder en route to posting wins on the first day of the 2015 America East Softball Championship Thursday afternoon at Stony Brook’s University Field.
The Seawolves got a two-out, sixth inning single from Shayla Giosia and scored twice in the frame on their way to a 2-0 win over fourth-seeded Maine in the opener while Sydney Harbaugh hit a leadoff home run for the Bearcats, who held on for a 5-3 win over second-seeded Albany in the nightcap.
Stony Brook and Binghamton will play in the first game Friday with a trip to Saturday’s championship game on the line. Albany and Maine will battle at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game. The loser of the first game and winner of the second will play at 4 p.m. in a second elimination game.
Stony Brook 2, Maine 0 – Box Score
- The conference’s two first-team all-league hurlers, Cukrov and Alexis Bogdanovich, engaged in a pitcher’s duel with neither team scoring until the sixth inning .
- In Stony Brook’s half of the sixth, Alexandra Pisciotta led off with a single and was sacrificed over by Chelsea Evans.
- After America East Player of the Year Bria Green popped out, first-team all-conference outfielder, Shayla Giosia, delivered a line drive RBI single over second.
- Stony Brook (29-14) added an insurance run as Giosia scored on an error by EmJ Fogel.
- Maine threatened a number of times, including the seventh as Erika Leonard doubled but Jessica Burk flew out to deep right and Felicia Lennon struck out to end the game.
- The Black Bears put two runners in each of the first two innings and in the fifth and sixth, but stranded them, and left nine in total
- Maine's best chance came in the sixth as they got runners to second and third with one out but Cukrov got the next two hitters.
- Cukrov allowed eight hits and struck out eight to improve to 13-4 on the year.
- Bogdanovich held Stony Brook to just three hits and struck out four in a complete-game effort.
Binghamton 5, Albany 3 – Box Score
- Binghamton (21-18) scored five runs in the first four innings to jump out to a 5-0 lead on the Great Danes.
- Harbaugh, a first-team all-conference outfielder, led off the game with a home run to left center field.
- Albany (30-17) loaded the bases in its half of the first but Sarah Miller fanned Marlin Solano to end the frame.
- The Bearcats scored a pair of unearned runs in the third, taking advantage of two Albany errors.
- Harbaugh scored on a Devin Durando wild pitch and Stephanie Bielec came home on one of the miscues.
- Tia Smith padded the Bearcats lead with a two-run homer in the fourth.
- The Great Danes got three runs back in the fourth on Jess Tate's three-run homer.
- Cara Martin relieved Miller in the fifth and allowed just two hits over three scoreless frames to pick up her first save of the season.
- Miller allowed just two hits in four innings and earned the win to improve to 8-6.