Day One RecapDay Two RecapHARRISONBURG, Va. -- Jessica Lemieux and Samantha Showalter each homered in the bottom of the sixth inning, leading Toledo (2-10) to a 9-6 win over Binghamton (5-4) in the final day of the Macedo/James Madison Softball Invitational on Sunday morning at Veterans Memorial Park. With the loss, the Bearcats finish the weekend 3-1.
With the score tied at 6-6, Lemieux led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a home run over the left center field fence. Three batters later, Showalter gave Toledo some breathing room as she clubbed a two-run shot to left field.
The Bearcats left one runner on base when the game ended in the top of the seventh inning.
Binghamton appeared to have command of the game as it took a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore outfielder
Jessica Rutherford singled home a run in the top of the first inning and sophomore second baseman
Stephanie Bielec did the same one inning later.
Toledo tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. The two teams then traded runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to knot the game at 4-4.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Bearcats again appeared to take control of the game as they plated a pair of runs. Rutherford led off the frame with a double and scored two batters later on a RBI double by senior catcher
Taylor Chaffee. Sophomore shortstop
Crysti Eichner was the next batter and she came through with a RBI single.
Defensively, however, Binghamton came unglued in the bottom of the fifth inning. It committed a pair of errors and threw a wild pitch, which led to the Rockets tying the score at 6-6.
The Bearcats would not score for the rest of the game.
Marla Gooding improved to 2-5 with the win while sophomore pitcher
Sarah Miller took the loss, dropping her record to 3-4.
Eichner finished the day 3-for-4 and hit safely in all four games over the weekend. She finished the tournament with two home runs and eight RBI.
Binghamton heads to the Stetson Tournament March 11-13.
NOTE: Eichner, Bielec and junior outfielder
Gabby Bracchi were all named to the Macedo/JMU All-Tournament Team.
