Weeks strikes out school-record 17 batters as softball team splits with Vermont


BURLINGTON, Vt.--Sophomore pitcher Michelle Weeks (Bunnell, Fla./ Flagler Palm Coast) fired a two hit shutout and struck out a school-record 17 batters as Binghamton (9-8, 1-1 AE) managed a split against America East foe Vermont (4-10, 2-2 AE) in its first action in three weeks. The Bearcats fell 7-0 in the opener before winning the nightcap 3-0.

As for Weeks (5-1), her 17 strikeouts in the nightcap shattered the school record of 11 strikeouts which had been recorded twice. Charlene Cook established the mark on March 7, 1997 against North Carolina Wesleyan and Margaret Yerdon tied the old mark against Denison on March 17, 1998.

The Bearcats gave Weeks a pair of runs in the fourth inning and an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning. Junior catcher Jessica Chellis (Tunkhannock, Pa./ Tunkhannock) went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI singles and also scored a run. The other two runs were scored by freshman shortstop Rose Barre (Watertown, N.Y./ General Brown).

In the opening game, the host Catamounts held Binghamton to just two hits and scored in all but one inning. Freshman pitcher Katie Hansen (Westtown, N.Y./ Minisink Valley) took the loss, dropping her record to 0-4.

NOTES: Chellis went 3-for-6 in the two games and now has a team-high 13-game hitting streak ... Weeks has now thrown four complete-game shutouts this season and lowered her ERA to 1.17.

BOX SCORES

Game 1: Vermont 7, Binghamton 0
Game 2: Binghamton 3, Vermont 0