STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Using the big inning as its catalyst, Binghamton beat Stony Brook twice on the final day of the 2015 America East Softball Championship en route to capturing the conference title Saturday at Stony Brook’s University Field.
The Bearcats (24-19) scored four times in the second en route to a 5-2 win over the Seawolves (30-17) in the first game of the day and scored five times in the sixth to secure a 9-3 win in nightcap to capture the league crown.
Binghamton, whose championship is their first in program history, also earned America East’s automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Championship and will learn its NCAA draw Sunday night during the selection show, which will air on ESPNU at 10 p.m.
Freshman pitcher Sarah Miller earned the Most Outstanding Player trophy after earning all four wins over the weekend.
Miller was joined on the All-Championship team by teammates Lisa Cadogan, Sydney Harbaugh and Caytlin Friis, Stony Brook’s Diane Caruso, Allison Cukrov and Alexandra Pisciotta, Albany’s Vicky McFarland and Jess Tate and Maine’s Alexis Bogdanovich and Erika Leonard.
Cukrov was also named the league's inaugural Elite 18 recipient for softball. She owns a 3.89 GPA in sustainable studies.
Game 1: Binghamton 5, Stony Brook 2 – Box Score
Binghamton score four times in the bottom of the second on its way to a 5-2 victory over Stony Brook in the sixth game of the America East Softball Championship. With the win, the Bearcats staved off elimination and forced a seventh in and deciding game.
The Bearcats took advantage of wildness by Stony Brook pitcher Allison Cukrov as she hit three and walk two. Already up 2-0, Stephanie Bielec singled to right, scoring Caytlin Friis. Crysti Eichner also scored on the play on an error by Bria Green, giving the Bearcats a 4-0 lead after two.
Stony Brook had a golden opportunity in the top of the third loading the bases with two out. But after pitching around Bria Green, Sarah Miller got Shayla Giosia, a first-team all-conference outfielder, to ground out to short to end the threat.
The Bearcats added another run in the third to jump ahead 5-0 as Lisa Cadogan led off with a single up the middle and scored on an error by Stony Brook shortstop Lexi Shue.
The Seawolves, who were hurt by committing four errors in the game, got two back in top of the sixth. Kim Ragazzo delivered a pinch hit RBI single inside the first base bag, scoring Green, the America East Player of the Year. Giosia scored on an RBI groundout by Lauren Kamachi to cut the deficit to 5-2.
But Binghamton’s Sarah Miller, who went the distance for the Bearcats, got out of the inning and pitched around a one-out single in the seventh to end the game. She allowed just two runs on five hits and struck out four.
Game 2: Binghamton 9, Stony Brook 3 – Box Score
Binghamton score three in the third and broke the seventh game of the 2015 America East Championship open with a five-run sixth inning on its way to a 9-3 win over Stony Brook to win the 2015 America East title Saturday.
Stony Brook got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on Alexandra Pisciotta’s second homer of the tournament and sixth of the season.
The Bearcats again used the big inning to jump ahead in the third. The first five hitters of the inning all singled as Stephanie Bielec and Jessica Rutherford, the America East Rookie of the Year, singled up the middle to start the rally. Lisa Cadogan, Taylor Chaffee and Kate Richard all followed with RBI base hits to give the Bearcats a 3-1 lead. Allison Cukrov, who relieved Jane Sallen helped the Seawolves get out of further damage, getting out of a second and third and no out situation to keep the deficit at two.
Stony Brook, the regular-season champion, got one back in the fifth on Diane Caruso’s RBI single. But Cara Martin, who relieved Sarah Miller, stranded runners at second and third to keep Binghamton ahead, 3-2.
The Bearcats didn’t rest on their one-run lead and blew the game open in the sixth, plating five. Caytlin Friis and Sydney Harbaugh had the big hits in the inning with Friis delivering a two-run double to left center and Harbaugh, a first-team all-conference outfielder, belted a homer to left.
Each team would add another run before Martin struck out Kim Ragozzo to end it and Binghamton's celebration ensued.