The Stony Brook University softball team won one of two games on the road against the Binghamton Bearcats on Saturday afternoon, losing the first game 3-0 but winning the second 2-1. However, the more important success for Stony Brook from the day’s action was the achievement of a spot in the 2012 America East playoffs.
The Seawolves are now 32-13-1 overall on the season and 11-2-1 in conference play and have won five of their last eight games. They have a hold on first place in the conference standings but are only 0.021 winning percentage points higher than the University of Albany. Albany is 12-3 in conference play and will head to Stony Brook next weekend for a matchup that decides who wins the regular season conference crown and therefore who is first in line to hold the championship series.
Binghamton (16-26, 7-10) was victorious in the first game, holding Stony Brook to no score while scrapping a few runs themselves. The Seawolves did outhit their opponents, but it would prove in vain. Bearcat starter Demi Laney (7-8) struck out seven and walked none. On the mound for Stony Brook was freshman Allison Cukrov (21-7), who was the starter for both games. She struck out 10 batters in the first game and 18 for the day. She gave up only six hits that day to the Bearcats, but one of the hits in game one proved to be the game-winner.
That hit came in the fourth inning when Binghamton’s Jessica Bump hit a three-run home run, breaking a scoreless tie and eventually proving to be the only scoring play of the day.
The Seawolves had later chances to eat into Binghamton’s lead, but they were for naught. Base runners in the fifth and sixth inning were left stranded as the Bearcats took game one for their own.
Game two was a different story.
Binghamton got on the board first, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. It could have been a forboding begining, but no one knew at the time that that was the Bearcat’s lone run of the game.
In the top of the third inning, freshman designated hitter Sarah Androvich singled down the left field line to initiate Stony Brook’s rally. She then took first because of a sac bunt from sophomore catcher Nicole Schieferstein. Senior outfielders Suzanne Karath and Alyssa Hawley then each hit infield singles, loading the bases.
Stony Brook got into one more out in the inning before it dealt its damage. That damage, however, was the result of a throwing error by the Binghamton shortstop. Karath and Hawley came in to score, giving Stony Brook the two runs it needed to win.
As for pitching, Cukrov did only allowed two base runners after the first inning and no hits.
The two teams will meet once more on Sunday afternoon to finish out the series. The game begins at noon.
