The Binghamton University softball team played its final series of the season over the weekend, hosting the Hartford Hawks at East Gym Field. The Bearcats lost two-of-three and finished the season with a 7-37 record including a 2-19 conference record.
On Saturday, the teams split the doubleheader as the Bearcats dropped the first game 9-1 in five innings, but came back with a 2-1 victory in the second game. Junior outfielder Sandy Meadows drove in all three of the Bearcats runs, including a two-run homer during the second game. Her home run, the first of the season, came in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs when Binghamton trailed 1-0.
Junior pitcher Patty Egan gave up one run on four hits and struck out five in all seven innings of work in a dominant performance on the mound.
The previous game, however, it was Hartford sophomore Brittany Stratton who dominated holding the Bearcats to one run on two hits while striking out five.
Through two innings, Stratton already had a 6-0 lead to work with. Sophomore second baseman Rachel Clonick and sophomore second baseman Amanda Dilworth both had an RBI in each of the first two innings and senior third baseman Alex Morley belted a solo home run to lead off the second inning.
Meadows broke the shutout with a RBI single in the bottom of the third inning but sophomore first baseman Ann Kyzer had a two-run single in the top of the fourth and junior outfielder Amanda Sais scored on a throwing error in the fifth inning.
Stratton, meanwhile retired eight of the nine batters she faced after Meadows run-scoring hit.
Stratton came back the next day and scattered one run on five hits and struck out seven as Hartford took the rubber game 5-1 on Sunday. The Bearcats got out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with three straight hits off of Stratton. Meadows singled, stole second and scored on a RBI single by sophomore shortstop Shannon McLeese. In the final six innings, however, Stratton allowed only a pair of singles and did not issue a walk.
Hartford tied the game on an error in the top of the third inning and used a three-run fifth inning to take command of the game. Sophomore second baseman Rachel Clonick drilled a RBI double and later scored on a two-run single by sophomore second baseman Amanda Dilworth.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Hawks took advantage of a pair of errors to manufacture an insurance run.
Both teams combined for seven errors and four of the five runs scored off Egan were unearned.
The Bearcats graduated just one senior, Meghan Quinn, who hit .261 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. A young team this year, Binghamton will look to come back next year with more experience which they hope will lead to greater success.