A record-breaking day for one Bearcat accompanied a routine weekend for the team.
The Binghamton University softball team split its twin bill with Niagara University on Wednesday afternoon at the East Gym Field. Highlighting the second-game win for the Bearcats was junior catcher Deannie Plemon, who blasted her eighth homer of the year in the third inning to break the single-season home run record for BU.
Game 2 brought domination by the Bearcat pitching staff as sophomore Kristen Emerling tossed five innings of scoreless work. Emerling (9-2) struck out two batters, walked one and sprinkled five hits during her time at the mound.
‘I thought Kristen threw an excellent game in Game 2,’ head coach Michelle Burrell said, according to a Binghamton University press release. ‘We really needed to come back and get the second game after a rough first game in the field.’
Offensively, BU’s bats went swinging early on in the second inning when sophomores Colleen Whitaker and Meghan Tucker and freshman Jessica Phillips each smacked RBI singles to put the Bearcats up 3-0. The third inning resulted in the record-breaking performance by Plemon when her homer added to a substantial Bearcats lead. Plemon now has 17 home runs for her career and trails only Nicole Vitello (2003-06), who hit 18 for her career.
‘I really like that I can contribute to the team in a positive way and help us win,’ Plemon said of her home runs. ‘I’m really happy with the way we are coming together as a team on and off the field.’
Leading 6-0 in the fifth, sophomore designated hitter Chelsea Horne launched a two-run home run over the right field fence that put BU up 8-0 and ended the game because of the minimum inning limit rule.
Phillips, Horne and Whitaker each had two hits to pace Binghamton.
In Game 1, Niagara’s Julie DiMatteo prevented any runs by the BU offense until the sixth inning. However, the sixth inning proved to be too late for BU, with the Purple Eagles having scored four runs in the third on two doubles and a two-run home run by Niagara’s Jennifer Hare en route to a 9-2 victory. The Bearcats had four fielding errors in the game.
BU is set to return to America East action at 1 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday against Hartford at the East Gym Field.