Softball sweeps pair of games in opening day of Maryland/Miken Invit.

Cadogan homers twice, Chaffee drives in three runs

March 7, 2013

Softball sweeps pair of games in opening day of Maryland/Miken Invit.

Final Box: Binghamton vs. St. John's

Final Box: Binghamton vs. Radford

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – Freshman first baseman Lisa Cadogan homered twice and freshman catcher Taylor Chaffee drove in three runs, leading Binghamton (4-7) to a sweep of two games at the Maryland/Miken Invitational on Saturday. The Bearcats defeated St. John’s 6-3 in the first game and pulled out a 4-3, eight-inning win over Radford in the finale.

Against the Red Storm, Chaffee put the Bearcats ahead 3-0 with a bases-clearing double in the top of the first inning. St. John’s however, got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Chrissy Montez clubbed a lead-off homer. Erin Burner then tied the game on a two-run double in the third inning.

Binghamton regrouped in the top of the fourth inning when freshman outfielder Sydney Harbaugh singled in the go-ahead run. Two innings later, Cadogan drilled a solo home run. Freshman designated hitter Tiffany McIntosh drove in the Bearcats’ final run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning.

Senior pitcher Rhoda Marsteller pitched the first six innings to raise her record to 1-2. Fellow senior Kate Price came on in the seventh inning and retired the side to collect her first save of the year.

The loss was tagged to Aleshia Link, who is also 1-2.

Harbaugh and Cadogan each finished the game with a pair of hits. The three RBI for Chaffee represents her career high.

In the nightcap, Emily Nagele hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, giving the Highlanders a 2-0 advantage. Binghamton loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame but failed to plate a run.

Junior third baseman Mikala King trimmed the deficit to 2-1 when she scored on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fourth inning. One inning later, Cadogan’s two-run blast put the Bearcats up 3-2.

Radford took advantage of a fielding error to deadlock the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning. In the bottom of the same inning, the Bearcats once again loaded the bases, only to come away empty.

With the international tie-breaking rule in effect, Binghamton got out of the top of the eighth inning unscathed. Sophomore shortstop Caytlin Friis was then placed on second base to start the bottom of the inning. Three batters later, she scored the winning run on a fielding error.

Price pitched the final three innings to collect the win, raising her record to 2-3. Junior pitcher Demi Laney started the game and scattered two runs on four hits and struck out eight batters in 5.0 innings. She tossed four scoreless innings after allowing the home run to Nagele.

Rachel Walters took the loss, dropping her record to 3-4.

Harbaugh, who reached on the decisive fielding error, finished the game with two hits as did senior outfielder Jessica Phillips.

Binghamton finishes the weekend with a 1 p.m. game against the host Terps.

NOTE: The game against St. John’s started at 5:30 p.m. and the game against Radford began at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.