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Binghamton 5, Stony Brook 2 (box score)
Binghamton 9, Stony Brook 3 (championship game) (box score)

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The Binghamton softball team swept a pair of games against top-seeded Stony Brook, winning its first-ever America East title on Saturday afternoon at University Field. The Bearcats entered the day needing to win a pair of games against the Seawolves and proceed to reel off 5-2 and 9-3 victories. In the process, the Bearcats earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will find out their first-round destination during the selection show on Sunday at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.

Freshman pitcher Sarah Miller was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She scattered two runs on five hits and struck out four batters to record the complete-game victory in the opener. In the nightcap, she allowed two runs on four hits through four innings before turning the ball over to junior Cara Martin in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Bearcats were nursing a 3-2 lead heading into the top of the six inning, but erupted for five runs to blow the game open. Senior shortstop Caytlin Friis drilled a two-run double and scored two batters later on a three-run home run by junior outfielder Sydney Harbaugh. Both Friis and Harbaugh (who finished the tournament with three home runs) joined Miller on the all-tournament team. 

Both teams traded runs in the seventh inning to complete the scoring.

"Our girls did a very good job and we are very proud of them," head coach Michelle Burrell said. "We talked at the start of the season that we wanted to be playing our best ball at the end of the year. Everyone bought into the team, accepted their roles and that's why we are here where we are today."

Also being named to the all-tournament team was junior Lisa Cadogan, who hit a team-best .414 during the five games. Martin, meanwhile, finished the tournament with a pair of saves.

NOTE: As a Division III program, Binghamton (then known as the Colonials) advanced to the NCAA Tournament four consecutive years. It's most recent conference championship came in 1995 when it won the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title.