For Immediate Release: March 26, 2010
Contact: Matt Muzza (sports@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

Binghamton softball gearing up for America East play
Bearcats to play three at Albany on Saturday, Sunday

VESTAL, N.Y. -- First-year head coach Michelle Burrell has the Binghamton softball team (10-5) off to its best start to a season in its nine-year tenure as a Division I program. The team will begin America East play at Albany this weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday.

Binghamton Team Notes:

-BU is on a Division I best eight-game win streak

-BU has outscored opponents 46-6 during the eight-game streak

-Team is off to its best start in its Division I era through the first 15 games (10-5)

-BU has shut out their last three opponents (7-0 over St. Francis, 8-0 and 9-0 over Marist)

-Pitching staff has improved its ERA from 5.05 in 2009 to 1.50 this season

-Freshman Rhoda Marsteller is 6-2 with a 1.17 ERA and sophomore Kristen Emerling is 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA as the team's top two pitchers

-Marsteller has also pitched 20 straight innings without giving up an earned run

-Freshman Jessica Phillips already has five home runs on the season (single-season record is seven), is batting .333, is slugging .756 and has 11 RBI

-Junior Kelly Schuldt leads the team with a .341 batting average

-During BU's current eight-game win streak, Marsteller is 4-0 with a 0.26 ERA, Emerling is 4-0 with a 0.33 ERA and senior second baseman Stephanie Valencia is batting .455. The Bearcats are also batting .307 as a team during the streak.

-Team has already surpassed win total from 2009 (7-36) and has reached the 10-win plateau for the first time since 2006

-BU won its first in-season tournament title at the Division I level by going 4-0 at the Delaware State Invite, and beating St. Francis 7-0 in the championship game

-Binghamton will be looking to reach the America East postseason for the first time in 2010 (top four teams qualify)

-Binghamton is 3-19 against Albany at the Division I level and haven't won a game since 2003. Albany has won the last 17 meetings

-Albany finished in third place last year and returns reigning Pitcher of the Year Leah McIntosh (3-1, 0.88 ERA)