VESTAL, N.Y. – One year to the month that its 2020 season was canceled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Binghamton softball team opened its 2021 campaign in perfect fashion. The Bearcats (2-0) swept St. Bonaventure (0-6) 8-0 and 7-3 on Sunday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

Senior pitcher Rayn Gibson joined sophomore pitchers Sophia Pappas and Morgan Bienkowski to record a relay no hitter in the opener. The five-inning decision marked the first no hitter in Bearcat program history since Sarah Miller went the distance against Niagara on March 31, 2016.

Pappas drove in a team-best four RBIs during the doubleheader. Senior first baseman Alex Guay drove in three runs in the first game while senior catcher Sara Herskowitz scored three times and drove in a pair of runs.

"It was good to get back at it today," assistant coach Jessica Bump said. "The team really enjoyed it and really took advantage of their opportunity. All of our pitchers threw today and kept their composure and our defense came up with some big plays at the right time."

In the first game, Guay and Pappas each had RBI singles in the bottom of the first inning, staking Binghamton an early 2-0 lead. The Bearcats then blew the game open with six more runs in the bottom of the second inning with Guay's two-run single being the key hit.

On the mound, Gibson struck out five batters in the first three innings. Pappas tossed a scoreless fourth inning and Bienkowski did the same in the fifth inning.

Gibson is now 1-0 while Emily Phelan took the loss, dropping her record to 0-2.

In the nightcap, the Bearcats once again jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage. Sophomore third baseman Quinn DeCicco belted a two-run double in the bottom of the first inning.

The Bonnies got a run back on a fourth-inning double by Abigail Stone.

St. Bonaventure unraveled in the bottom of the fifth inning with three errors that led to five unearned runs. The first two Binghamton runs scored directly off of errors. Pappas then entered the game as a pinch hitter and drilled a three-run double, padding the lead to 7-1.

Gibson was inserted into the game in the top of the seventh inning as the center fielder and ended up saving the game for Binghamton. The Bonnies drew two bases-loaded walks, trimming the deficit to 7-3. With the bases still loaded, Gibson made a leaping grab of Tierney Fitzgerald's fly ball to the warning track to end the game.

Senior pitcher Chelsea Howard is now 1-0 while Alley Haskill fell to 0-3 with the loss.

Junior second baseman Marissa Braito hit a team-best .600 during the day (3-for-5) and scored twice.

Binghamton opens up America East play next weekend with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Stony Brook. They will then end the series with a single game at noon on Sunday.