VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton softball team's season came to an end with two loses in the America East Tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Bearcats (17-25) were defeated 9-0 by top-seeded Albany (29-13) in a second-round game and 4-3 by Maine (22-24) in an elimination game.

In the opener, which took just five innings, Celeste Verdolivo held the Bearcats to just five hits. The newly-minted America East Pitcher of the Year raised her record to 14-2.

Offensively, the Great Danes opened up with one run in the first inning and blew the game open with six runs in the second inning. Albany then tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning.

Sophomore Rayn Gibson was tagged with the loss, dropping her record to 7-13.

After its loss to the Great Danes, the Bearcats were one out away from defeating the Black Bears in their second game. Trailing 3-2 and down to its last out, however, Maine got a two-run walk-off home run by Alyssa Derrick.

Senior Jessica Rutherford finished 3-for-4 against the Black Bears. It was her RBI single in the top of the fourth inning that put Binghamton ahead 3-2. For the tournament, Rutherford finished 5-for-10 (.500).

Freshman pitcher Chelsea Howard pitched valiantly against Maine, going the distance and allowing just six hits. Her record, however, fell to 3-3.

Annie Kennedy, meanwhile, got the win for the Black Bears, raising her mark to 11-8.

Sophomore catcher Sara Herskowitz finished the America East Tournament 3-for-7 (.429). She hit safely in all three of the Bearcats' games.

Freshman outfielder Lauren Martinez hit .375 (3-for-8) while senior Kate Richard was 2-for-6 (.333) with a pair of walks.

Rutherford concluded the season with a .432 batting average. That is the sixth-highest mark in Binghamton program history. More impressively, however, is her final career batting average of .391, which breaks the all-time mark of .379, set by Mollie Lehman (1997-00).

Rutherford's final career hits total was a program-best 235.

Kate Richard, who drove in a run against Maine, ended her career with 143 RBI. That represents the second-highest total in program history. Richard's 34 home runs, meanwhile, ties Deannie Plemon for the second-best total in Bearcat history.

The Bearcats' prolific 2018 senior class also included Stephanie Bielec, Carrie Maniccia and Jill Bovitt.