Maine softball’s America East Tournament run ends on third day

Black Bears knocked out Binghamton before falling to UAlbany
Published: May. 12, 2023 at 5:49 PM EDT
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CATONSVILLE, Md. (WABI) - Maine softball’s Cinderella run at the America East Tournament as the No. 6 seed out of six teams fell one game short of the championship round.

Black Bears knocked out Binghamton before falling to UAlbany
Black Bears knocked out Binghamton before falling to UAlbany(WABI/AETV)

The Black Bears entered Friday needing two elimination-game wins to find a title shot on Saturday.

Maine began by continuing its run of upsets, eliminating No. 2 Binghamton, 6-4, in its first game of the day.

The Black Bears trailed, 3-2, heading into the fifth inning when Krista Francia struck with an RBI double, scoring Jasmine Gray and tying the game.

In the sixth, Grace McGouldrick connected for a three-run home run to give Maine a 6-3 lead.

Binghamton answered in the bottom half with an Emma Lawson solo shot, but that was as close as the Bearcats could get.

The 6-4 victory ushered in a matchup between the Black Bears and No. 3 UAlbany. The winner would face No. 1 and tournament host UMBC in Saturday’s championship round at Noon.

The teams played to a 2-2 tie through two innings before Maddi Petrella gave the Great Danes a 4-2 lead with a single scoring two runs, including one on a Maine throwing error.

Gray cut the Great Danes’ lead in half with a solo home run to make it 4-3 in the fifth frame.

UAlbany added another run on a wild pitch to end Maine’s season, 5-3.