BALTIMORE, MD. – Grace McGouldrick hit a three-run home run, lifting Maine (16-38) to a 6-4 win over Binghamton (29-18) in an America East Tournament elimination game on Friday afternoon at the Diamond at UMBC. The setback ends the Bearcats' 2023 season, in which they tied for the fourth-most wins in program history.

McGouldrick broke a 3-3 tie with two outs in the top of the sixth inning with her three-run home run over the right-center field fence. All of the runs off of that blast were unearned.

The Bearcats got a run back in the bottom of the sixth inning when freshman catcher Emma Lawson led off the frame with her first career home run. One inning later, however, Binghamton left the tying runs on base when the final out was recorded.

The game featured two ties and three lead changes. After Maine went ahead 1-0 in the top of the third inning, freshman shortstop Akira Kopec deadlocked the game on an RBI double in the bottom of the same inning. The Black Bears went up 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning but junior first baseman Allison L'Amoreaux drilled a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving the Bearcats their first lead of the game.

Binghamton's lead, however, would be short lived as Krista Francia tied the game in the top of the fifth inning with an RBI double. That set the stage for McGouldrick's game-changing homer one inning later.

Caitlin Fallon pitched the first six innings to improve to 8-16. Alysen Reith came on in the seventh inning to nail down her second save of the year.

The Black Bears are the first No. 6 seed to clinch a top-three finish at the America East Tournament since the event expanded to six teams in 2016.

Graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas was tagged with the loss, dropping her record to 6-7.

Redshirt sophomore Brianna Santos, who was 1-for-3 against Maine, finished the America East Tournament with a .333 batting average (2-for-6).

Lawson is the first Binghamton freshman to homer in the America East Tournament since Pappas against UMass Lowell in 2019.

L'Amoreaux's home run was her fourth of the season, which ranks second on the team behind graduate student second baseman Alli Richmond, who has five homers.

The game against Maine marked the final contest for Pappas, Richmond, senior catcher Quinn DeCicco, senior outfielder Jill Fittry and senior outfielder Chloe Morgan. Four of them were in the starting lineup while Morgan was used a pinch hitter.

"Obviously, this was not the result we were looking for this week," head coach Jess Bump said. "But I couldn't be more proud of this group and how they have positively impacted our program. We are truly a family and regardless of the result today, we all know we will continue to have each others backs. This program is on the rise, and I am so excited to see what the future holds."