Softball

No. 2 Binghamton & No. 4 UMass Lowell Advance to Northeast Delta Dental #AESB Championship Game

 
ORONO, Maine – No. 4 UMass Lowell outlasted No. 2 Binghamton 4-3 in the opener, but the Bearcats plated 10 runs in the first two innings against top seed Bryant to advance to Saturday’s Northeast Delta Dental #AESB Championship game.
 
No. 2 Binghamton took a 1-0 lead early but a four-run fifth by No. 4 UMass Lowell was the difference as the River Hawks advanced to their second conference championship game in the past three seasons by a 4-3 margin..
 
The Bearcats faced No. 1 Bryant in an elimination game and their bats were hot early, scoring five runs in the first and second innings to grab a 10-1 lead on the way to the nine-run victory.
 
UMass Lowell and Binghamton will battle for the #AESB crown Saturday, beginning at 12 p.m. If Binghamton wins there will be a second, winner-take-all contest immediately following the first game. The Bearcats swept the River Hawks during the regular season but are 0-1 against them in the tournament.
  
The complete championship schedule, along with links to box scores and highlights can be found at Championship Central. 
 

No. 4 UMass Lowell 4, No. 2 Binghamton 3
  • Both teams were kept off the board through the first three innings thanks to excellent pitching by Giana LaCedra and Olivia Kennedy.
  • Binghamton pulled in front 1-0 in the fourth on a Rachel Carey sacrifice fly, plating Lauren Payne.
  • In the top of the fifth, each of UMass Lowell’s first three runners reached and Elizabeth Neeld came through with a two-RBI single up the middle. Thyanais Santiago followed with an RBI single for the 3-1 lead.
  • Isabel Quintanilla doubled home one final run to extend the 4-1 lead and put runners on second and third. Delaney Glover was able to get out of the jam with no more runs allowed.
  • In the sixth, Akira Kopec doubled down the line and two batters later Rachel Carey blasted a two-run shot to cut the deficit to 4-3. Binghamton put two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but Olivia DeCitise induced a pop-up to end the game.
  • DeCitise pitched 4.0 innings of relief to earn the win, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out a batter. She has earned the victory in all three of UMass Lowell's wins this tournament.
 

No. 2 Binghamton 10, No. 1 Bryant 1
  • Rachel Carey blasted her third home run of the tournament on the second pitch of the game for a 1-0 lead and Maddy Dodig ripped a two-run triple as part of a five-run first inning for Binghamton.
  • Bryant answered with a run in the bottom of the first on a solo home run from Jadyn Jenks.
  • The Bearcats offense kept hitting in the second, starting with a Maddy Dodig bases loaded walk. Akira Kopec drove in a pair and Rebecca Minnichbach add an RBI for the 10-1 advantage.
  • Bryant put runners on second and third in the bottom of the frame, but Delaney Glover got out of trouble. She allowed just one more hit over the final three innings to secure the victory. Glover finished with six hits allowed, three walks and three strikeouts.
  • Darien McDonough had a pair of hits, along with Kopec and Carey.
 
 
ABOUT AMERICA EAST 
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.  
 
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -