ITHACA, N.Y. – Senior pitchers
Rhoda Masteller and
Kate Price as well as junior pitcher
Demi Laney combined to throw a pair of shutouts, leading Binghamton (28-13) to a 7-0, 1-0 sweep over Cornell (21-29) on Wednesday afternoon. With the wins, the Bearcats tie their season high with eight straight victories.
Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Binghamton has its most wins in a season since going 29-18 in 1999. The Bearcats have now won 26 of their last 32 games.
Marsteller scattered three hits and struck out 10 batters and did not allow a walk in the nightcap to record her second straight complete-game shutout. Her record improves to 9-4 on the season, which includes a career-high four shutouts.
Laney tossed the first five innings of the opener and improved her record to 14-5. She allowed three hits, issued just one walk and struck out nine batters. Laney now has 150 strikeouts for the season, which breaks the single-season mark set by Michelle Weeks in 2003.
Price, meanwhile, finished the first game with a pair of scoreless innings.
Cornell, which came into the day with a .294 team batting average, was held to a .160 mark by Laney, Price and Marsteller.
"Cornell is a good offensive team," head coach
Michelle Burrell said. "Demi, Rhoda and Kate did a great job with their hitters. We played good defense behind them as well."
Freshman first baseman
Lisa Cadogan finished the day a team-best .571 (4-for-7). Freshman designated hitter
Tiffany McIntosh and junior outfielder
Colleen Dougherty each hit .500.
Binghamton broke open a scoreless first game with three runs in the top of the second inning. Junior third baseman
Mikala King singled home the first run and scored one batter later on a two-run home run by sophomore shortstop
Caytlin Friis.
Freshman catcher
Taylor Chaffee keyed a four-run third inning with a two-run double. McIntosh and King each added RBI singles.
Freshman outfielder
Sydney Harbaugh stole her 24th base of the season during the third inning of the first game. That sets the Binghamton program single-season record. The old mark of 23 stolen bases was set by Michelle Thorton in 1995.
Senior outfielder
Jessica Phillips, meanwhile, clubbed her 45th career double in the second inning of the first game. That sets the Binghamton program's all-time record. The previous mark of 44 doubles was set by Jami Pier (1997-00).
Meg Parker took the loss for Cornell in the first game, dropping her record to 3-7.
The Bearcats could only muster three hits in the second game but McIntosh got the one that mattered in the top of the sixth inning. She singled home Dougherty to break open a scoreless tie.
From there, Marsteller retired the final six batters of the game. Despite not giving up an earned run, Alyson Onyon was tagged with the loss. Her record is now 15-17.
Binghamton now heads into a three-game home series against Albany, which will determine the America East regular-season champion. The Great Danes are currently 13-1 in conference play while the Bearcats are 13-2. Whichever team wins at least two games will host the conference tournament May 9-11.
The Bearcats and Great Danes will play a doubleheader at the Bearcats Sports Complex on Saturday at 1 p.m. and a single game at noon on Sunday.
NOTES: Laney's 14 wins is the highest total by a Binghamton pitcher since
Kristen Emerling finished the 2010 campaign with a 14-5 record … Marsteller's 10 strikeouts represents her season high.