Softball Defeats Bryant 3-1 in Nine Innings in AE Tournament

5/8/2025 4:03:00 PM | By: David O'Brian (dobrian@binghamton.edu)

Kopec drills two-run, walk-off home run, Bearcats play again Friday at 11 a.m.

Box Score VESTAL, N.Y. – Redshirt sophomore infielder Akira Kopec clubbed a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting Binghamton (34-12) to a 3-1 win over Bryant (18-31) in a second-round America East Tournament game on Thursday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex. With the victory, the Bearcats advance to the third round where they will face UMBC on Friday at 11 a.m.

Kopec's home run, which was her first of the season, was smacked over the left-field fence. Scoring on the play was sophomore shortstop Rebecca Minnichbach, who led off the frame with a single and was sacrificed to second base by senior third baseman Sarah Rende.

The decisive blast by Kopec capped a three-hour marathon that started off as a pitcher's duel and ended with three home runs in the final two innings. Meaghan Houwk hit a two-out, solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the same inning, however, sophomore catcher Elisa Allen deadlocked the score with her 23rd home run and 56th RBI of the season.

On the mound, Brianna Roberts went the distance. She scattered one run on four hits over a career-high nine innings and struck out 10 batters. Her final pitch count was also a career-best 160. For the season, Roberts is now 19-2 and has tied the school record for victories set by Amanda Schilling back in 1994.

"Our entire team has been locked in all year," head coach Jess Bump said. "I personally think the first game of the tournament is the hardest and it took our offense a while to get going but we played tough for nine innings and I'm so proud of this team."

Lexi Powell of Bryant also went the distance - but was tagged with the loss, dropping her record to 4-6.

With Roberts' 10 strikeouts today, Binghamton has tied the school record with 285 Ks, which was set by the 2013 team.

Kopec and Minnichbach each finished the game with two hits - as did graduate student outfielders Lindsey Walter and Brianna Santos. In addition, sophomore second baseman Maddy Dodig extended her hitting streak to a team-high and career-best 10 games with a single in the bottom of the second inning.

The home run by Kopec is the Bearcats' first walk-off home run of the season. It is also the fourth walk-off home run they've hit in an America East Tournament game and the first since Alex Musial against Hartford in 2022.

The 34 victories by Binghamton this season ties the 2016 squad for the second-most wins in program history. The 1995 team won a program-record 37 times.

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Kopec drills two-run, walk-off home run, Bearcats play again Friday at 11 a.m.

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