COLLEGE PARK, MD – Sophomore third baseman Kate Richard drove in three runs and junior shortstop Crysti Eichner scored three times, leading Binghamton (9-9) to a split in the final day of the Maryland Invitational on Sunday afternoon. The Bearcats lost 11-1 to Boston University (10-12) but bounced back to beat the host Terps (7-20) 9-3.
 
The win over Maryland marked the Bearcats' first-ever win over a program from the Big Ten Conference. The Terps were members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) the four previous times they met Binghamton. The most recent game between the two schools took place back in 2013.
 
Richard finished the day 2-for-6 (.333) while Eichner was 3-for-7 (.429). Both of them hit safely in each game.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning against Maryland, the Bearcats erupted for five runs. Richard delivered the big blow with a three-run triple to put Binghamton up 4-2. Eichner scored on the play.
 
One inning later, the Bearcats tacked on three more runs. Eichner belted a two-run double and later scored on a RBI single by sophomore designated player Bridget Hunt. 
 
Eichner scored the Bearcats' final run in the top of the seventh inning on a triple by senior first baseman Griffin McIver.
 
Senior pitcher Cara Martin went the distance, improving her record to 2-2. Hannah Dewey fell to 3-6 with the loss.
 
McIver finished with a pair of RBI against Maryland, going 2-for-3 in the process.
 
Earlier in the day, Binghamton met Boston University for the first time since the Terriers left the America East Conference to join the Patriot League in July 2013. The Terriers, however, roughed the Bearcats up for 11 runs on 16 hits.
 
Offensively, Boston University was led by Brittany Younan, who drove in five runs and scored twice. Her biggest hit was a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the top of the sixth inning, making the score 8-0.
 
Binghamton broke the shutout when senior catcher Lisa Cadogan singled home sophomore outfielder Jessica Rutherford in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Terriers responded with three more runs in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Lauren Hynes went the distance, raising her record to 7-5. Freshman pitcher Allison Pritchard took the loss in her first decision of the year.
 
Cadogan finished the weekend with a team-best .500 batting average, going 5-for-10 in the process. Richard went 4-for-11 (.364) while Rutherford was 5-for-14 (.357).
 
For the season, Rutherford continues to lead Binghamton with a .459 batting average and currently has a team-best, five-game hitting streak.
 
Binghamton begins America East play next weekend with a three-game series at UMass Lowell. The two squads will play a 1 p.m. double header on Saturday and a noon game on Sunday.
 
NOTES: Before the game against Maryland, current Binghatmon head coach Michelle Burrell and assistant coach Meredith Allen were recognized as alumni of the university. Burrell graduated from Maryland in 2001 while Allen graduated in 2009. Both were four-year members of the Terps' softball program.