On Wednesday, the Binghamton softball team faced America East (AE) rivals UAlbany for an away doubleheader. The Bearcats were unable to pull out a win, dropping the first game 5-2 and the second 12-2.

“Albany showed up to play today and we didn’t,” said Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “Game one was tight and we put ourselves in a position to win the game and just didn’t capitalize on our opportunities … And in game two we just defensively fell apart … We just got to be better all around.”

Sophomore pitcher Allison L’Amoreaux got the start for BU (14-16, 1-3 AE) in game one. After giving up a Great Dane (16-11, 5-2 AE) two-run homer in the first inning, L’Amoreaux didn’t allow another run until the sixth inning. The sophomore was taken out in the sixth but recorded two more earned runs after allowing two baserunners to reach in the inning. Through five innings pitched, she struck out six, gave up four runs and allowed five hits.

“[L’Amoreaux] gave up that home run in the first inning,” Bump said. “But I thought she kind of [bore] down and did what she needed to do.”

Offensively, Binghamton got started in the fourth inning with a solo homer from freshman utility Sarah Rende. The Bearcats tied the contest at two runs apiece in the next inning, but could not score another run for the remainder of the game. In the sixth inning, Albany tallied three runs to take a 5-2 advantage.

“Albany is a team that never stops fighting, they put the ball in play,” Bump said. “So we just need to come up with some plays defensively.”

Game two was a lopsided affair as the Great Danes came out firing in the first inning. They put seven runs past BU. Binghamton responded in the third inning thanks to a two-run homer from senior utility Alli Richmond. However, these were the only runs scored by the Bearcats in the five-inning contest.

“I think we need to continue to just move on and try again [in] our next games,” Bump said. “Offensively, we just got to have better intent … We’re pretty passive right now, we’ve kind of gotten out of our attack mindset, so we gotta find a way to get back to it.”

Albany continued to pile on runs in the third and fourth innings, adding five runs to total 12 for the game. The Great Danes’ success behind the plate can be attributed to BU’s defensive struggles throughout game two. The Bearcats had five errors during the contest, which gave Albany more opportunities to score.

Graduate student pitcher Chelsea Howard got the start on the mound and pitched one inning. The Bearcat gave up seven runs in the first, but only two of those runs were earned. The rest were scored due to defensive errors.

“Our pitchers went in [for game two] and did well with getting us those ground balls in that first inning,” Bump said. “We should’ve gotten out of it … Our defensive errors were very costly, and we just have to be better defensively.”

As Binghamton moves through its conference schedule, they will look to catch up to the top teams in the AE. Bump said the team needs to get back to how they were playing earlier on in the year.

“Flush out the last few games and just get back to playing Binghamton softball,” Bump said. “I think we’re out of our element a little bit. Gotta find a way to get our confidence back and just do what we did earlier on in the season.”

BU is slated for a weekend series against Stony Brook starting on Saturday, April 16. First pitch of game one is scheduled for noon at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.