VESTAL, N.Y. -- Senior shortstop Makayla Alvarez homered and drove in three runs, highlighting Binghamton's split against Maine in an America East softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Bearcats (7-7, 3-7 AE) lost the first game 6-0 but bounced back to win the finale 5-3.

With the Bearcats down 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning of the second game, Alvarez clubbed a solo home run over the right field fence. She later capped a four-run bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run single, giving Binghamton the lead for good.

Prior to Alvarez's heroics, the Black Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a three-run double by Amanda Nee. From there, however, freshman pitcher Hannah Mearns tossed 3.1 scoreless innings to improve her record to 2-1.

The loss was tagged to Caitlyn Fallon, who is now 1-7.

Also pounding out a pair of hits for Binghamton in the nightcap was freshman catcher Hailey Ehlers.

In the opening game, however, the Bearcats only got two hits total against Maine starter Kyleigh O'Donnell. She went the full seven innings, struck out six batters and allowed only four base runners to raise her record to 7-2.

Offensively, Keely Clark drove in three runs while Izzy Nieblas finished with a pair of RBI.

The loss was tagged to senior pitcher Rayn Gibson, whose record dropped to 3-3. In the second inning, however, she became just the eighth player in Binghamton program history to record her 300th career strikeout.

Binghamton and Maine wrap up their series with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Sunday.