Stony Brook softball team loses to Binghamton falling twice in America East championship
Stony Brook starting pitcher Allison Cukrov delivers in the first inning against UMBC in an America East championship softball game on Thursday, May 8, 2014. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Stony Brook softball team's memorable 2015 season, which included a regular-season championship, came to a close Saturday when they were defeated twice by Binghamton. The Seawolves lost 5-2 and 9-3 in the America East Championship.
"We were the best team all year, but Binghamton was the best team today," coach Megan Bryant said. "Our effort was there today, but our execution was not."
The Bearcats (24-19) scored four times in the second inning against the Seawolves (30-17) and jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the third in the first game. The Seawolves made it interesting with two runs in the sixth on an RBI single from Kim Ragazzo and an RBI groundout from Lauren Kamachi, but Binghamton's Sarah Miller closed out the complete game with a scoreless seventh inning.
In the second game, Stony Brook drew first blood with a solo home run by Allie Pisciotta in the bottom of the third. The catcher finished the game 3-for-3 with all three of Stony Brook's runs. Binghamton scored five times in the sixth inning to capture the league crown.
Binghamton, whose championship is the first in program history, also earned America East's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will learn its NCAA draw Monday night during the selection show, which will air on ESPNU at 10 p.m.
The Seawolves' Pisciotta, Diane Caruso and Allison Cukrov were named to the all-tournament team. Pisciotta went 5-for-9 (.556) with eight runs scored and two home runs. Caruso added five RBIs while playing a great leftfield and Cukrov went 2-1 with two complete-game wins.
Binghamton freshman pitcher Sarah Miller earned the most outstanding player trophy after getting all four wins over the weekend.
