VESTAL, N.Y. – For the first time in 12 years, Maine is the America East Softball champion. The second-seeded Black Bears set a championship game record by scoring 14 runs to beat third-seeded Albany, 14-1, and claimed its first conference crown since 2004 Saturday at the Bearcats Sports Complex. Earlier in the day, the Great Danes defeated top-seeded Binghamton, 6-4, in an elimination game to advance to the title game for the fifth time in the last six years.
The Black Bears’ Erin Boganovich allowed just one run in a complete-game effort and was named the championship’s Most Outstanding Player. The junior right hander went 2-0 with a save and allowed just two earned runs in 13 1/3 innings of work in the tournament.
With the win, Maine earned America East’s automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Championship. The Black Bears will learn their postseason draw during the NCAA Softball Championship selection show on Sunday at 10 p.m. It will be televised on ESPNU.
Bogdanovich highlighted the 2016 Softball All-Championship team. She was joined by teammates Janelle Bouchard, Felicia Lennon and Erika Leonard, Albany’s Maggie Cocks, Devin Durando and Liz Snow, Binghamton’s Sarah Miller and Jessica Rutherford, Stony Brook’s Allie Pisciotta and Irene Rivera, UMBC’s Morgan Peyou and Hartford’s Sawyer Fried.
Maine’s Chloe Douglas earned the America East softball Elite 18 Award. The award is given to the student-athlete competing in the championship who has reached junior status and has the highest cumulative grade point average amongst the competitors. Douglas, a junior, carries a 3.59 GPA as a kinesiology and physical education major.
Visit Championship Central for links to box scores and highlights from all the tournament games.
Maine 14, Albany 1
Second-seeded Maine slugged out 18 hits en route to scoring an America East championship game record 14 runs in a 14-1 win over third-seeded Albany as the Black Bears won the 2016 softball title for the first time since 2004 Saturday at the Bearcats’ Sports Complex.
Maine got its offense going early, scoring four runs on five hits in the top of the first. Janelle Bouchard, the America East Player of the Year, Felicia Lennon, Alyssa Derrick and Kristen Niland all had RBI singles.
The Black Bears added two more in the second to take a 6-0 on Bouchard’s two-run home run, her fifth of the year.
A five-run third blew the game wide open for Maine. Leonard and Bouchard, both All-Championship selections, had RBI hits during the frame. Lennon, also an All-Championship choice, capped the rally with a run-scoring single.
Liz Snow, an All-Championship choice, accounted for Albany’s lone run with a solo homer to left in the fourth.
But, the Black Bears, who became the first winner’s bracket team to win the America East title since 2012, got three more runs and Bogdanovich set down the side in order the in fifth as Maine won via the eight-run rule.
Leonard and Bouchard both drove in four and scored three to lead the Black Bears.
Bogdanovich allowed just the one run on four hits without allowing a walk and striking out two.
Albany 6, Binghamton 4
Third-seeded Albany scored four times in the first inning and held off top-seeded Binghamton for a 6-4 win in the loser’s bracket final of the 2016 America East Softball Championship Saturday at Bearcats Sports Complex. The win sent Albany to the championship game for the fifth in the last six years.
The Great Danes got the bats going early, putting up a four spot in the first inning. McKenzie Bump led off with a single and with one out, Maggie Cocks and Liz Snow followed with base hits. Donna Conrad, a second-team All-Conference selection, delivered an RBI single and Mackenzie Cleary got hit by a pitch to bring in another run. Two runs scored on an ensuing Binghamton error and Albany led 4-0 after one.
Binghamton got three back in its half of the second. Crysti Eichner scored on a throwing error and Kate Richard cut the deficit to 4-2 on a sacrifice fly. Carrie Maniccia capped the inning with a RBI single.
Albany added two more in the second on an RBI single by Snow and a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Donna Conrad.
Binghamton got one more run in the fourth but was held off the board the rest of the way by Devin Durando, who didn’t allow an earned run on the day.