VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton softball team (22-25) concluded its 2017 season with a third-place finish at the America East Tournament on Friday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex. In a pair of elimination games, the Bearcats stayed alive with an 11-4 victory over Stony Brook but fell short against Maine 2-1. Saturday's championship round will pit Maine against Albany, starting at noon.

In the opener against Stony Brook, Binghamton blew open a close game with seven runs in the final two innings. The 11 runs scored represents the most runs the Bearcats have ever scored in an America East Tournament game. The old mark of nine runs, was also set against Stony Brook during the 2015 title game.

It was a different story in the second game, however, as the Bearcats left 13 runners on base against the Black Bears.

"We are obviously disappointed with the outcome," head coach Michelle Johnston said. "But I am proud of the team and how they fought and competed for each other. They did everything that we could ask of them."

Despite the disappointment, Binghamton concludes its third straight season having won at least one conference title. After capturing the America East tournament championship in 2015, the Bearcats have now won the past two tournament crowns.

Junior third baseman Kate Richard finished this year's America East Tournament a team-best .556 (5-for-9) with a pair of extra-base hits. For the season, she led the team with a .364 batting average, 13 home runs and 48 RBI.

Senior outfielder Bridget Hunt went 3-for-6 (.500), drew three walks and drove in three runs. Senior shortstop Crysti Eichner hit .333 (3-for-9) while junior outfielder Jessica Rutherford was 3-for-10 (.300) and scored a team-high four times.

With the Bearcats down 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning against Stony Brook, Hunt tied the game with a two-run single. Eichner put the Bearcats up 3-2 with a RBI single in the bottom of the third inning and two batters later, freshman catcher Sara Herskowitz scored on a fielding error.

With the Bearcats up 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Stony Brook's pitching unraveled and allowed five more runs without giving up a hit. Eichner and Herskowitz were both hit by pitches with the bases loaded. Eichner later scored the final run of the frame on a wild pitch.

Freshman pitcher Rayn Gibson improved to 9-6 with the win while the loss was tagged to Melissa Rahrich, who is now 12-12.

Junior first baseman Jillian Bovitt drove in a team-high three runs while Rutherford led the Bearcats with three runs scored.

Maine also took an early lead against Binghamton, going up 1-0 in the top of the first inning on a RBI double by Alyssa Derrick. Richard, however, singled home the tying run in the bottom of the same inning.

Meghan Royle put the Black Bears up 2-1 in the top of the third inning, with a two-out home run off the left-field scoreboard. From there, Maine survived five more innings in which the Bearcats came close, but were unable to plate the tying run.

Freshman pitcher Rozyln Price scattered just the two runs on just three hits through seven innings but saw her record fall to 7-10. Molly Flowers, meanwhile, got the win for Maine and she is also 7-10.

Richard's 48 RBI for the season ties the second-highest, single-season mark in Binghamton program history. That mark was set by Rutherford last year. Her 13 home runs represents the fifth-highest, single-season total.

As for Rutherford, she finished the season .358 with five home runs and 38 RBI. Junior second baseman Stephanie Bielec ended the year with a career-best .331 batting average.

Richard, Rutherford and Bielec were all repeat first-team all-conference selections.