LOWELL, Mass. – Binghamton softball (24-11, 10-2 America East) strengthened its hold on first place and ran its win streak to seven with a doubleheader sweep over host UMass Lowell (13-23, 5-9 AE) Friday afternoon at River View Field. The Bearcats won 5-0 and 14-0 (5 inn.).
In the opener, junior pitcher
Brianna Roberts fired a three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and the Bearcats gave her plenty of run support with five runs on nine hits.
Binghamton scored twice in the second inning and added three insurance runs in the seventh.
In the second inning, freshman DP
Rachel Carey drew a 1-out walk and junior left fielder
Bella Farina followed with a single. Sophomore second baseman
Maddy Dodig plated both runners with a two-run double down the left field line.
Meanwhile, Roberts (W) was cruising toward her conference-leading 13
th win (13-2). She struck out two in the first inning, one in the second, three in the third, two in the sixth and recorded her ninth strikeout in the seventh. Roberts allowed just two singles and a double and only one hit after the second inning.
In the seventh, the Bearcats closed out the scoring with three runs on five hits – with the big blow being a two-run single to center by redshirt sophomore shortstop
Akira Kopec.
Dodig went 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI. Graduate right fielder
Brianna Santos went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
In the nightcap, Binghamton scored two runs in the first, four in the second and blew the game open with eight runs in the fifth.
The Bearcats belted three home runs and ended the affair early after racking up six hits in the fifth inning surge. Binghamton totaled 16 hits with nearly half going for extra bases (7).
Graduate
Brianna Santos set the tone with a first-inning leadoff home run and she finished 3-for-3 with two RBI. Junior catcher
Emma Lawson ripped a two-run homer in the second inning and wound up with three RBI. Senior outfielder Sara Rende hit a two-run shot in the fifth and went 2-for-3. Farina added two RBI. Carey went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
The offensive production was more than enough for junior pitcher
Olivia Kennedy (W), who fired a 1-hitter with 10 strikeouts to notch her seventh win of the season.
The teams close out the three-game series at noon on Saturday.
