University of Albany Softball Sweeps Binghamton In Saturday America East Doubleheader - UAlbany Sports 2009

Mason and Butsch's Game-Winning Home Runs Lead Softball in Sweep Against Binghamton - Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Vestal, N.Y. – Gina Mason hit a solo home run in game one and Meagan Butsch went yard twice while driving in a career-high five runs in the nightcap to lead UAlbany to a doubleheader sweep of Binghamton in America East Conference softball action on Saturday, April 18 at East Gym Field. The Great Danes won the first game, 1-0, and the second by a 7-1 score.

The first game featured a pitcher’s duel between UAlbany’s Leah McIntosh and Binghamton’s Cyrilla Suker. After four scoreless innings, Gina Mason gave the Great Danes all the insurance they needed when she went yard to lead off the fifth. McIntosh, who did not allow a runner to advance past first base, extended her shutout streak to 17.1 innings to help UAlbany seal the one-run decision.

McIntosh improved to 15-1 this season with the victory, recording 14 strikeouts in the two-hit shutout. She issued one walk in the fifth, which was the first time in 53 innings that she gave an opposing hitter a free pass to first. Suker dropped to 2-12 in the losing effort. She gave up six hits, one run which was earned and one walk while striking out two.

UAlbany (27-10, AE 8-3) got its bats going early in game two by plating two runs in the top of the first. Meagan Butsch, who hit two game-winning home runs earlier this week, clubbed another ball over the fence with Andrianna Walraven on third.

The Great Danes would put the game out of reach in the fifth by scoring five more times. Michelle Connors started the big inning with a single to plate Katie Wambold, and Butsch blasted a three-run homer to balloon the lead to six. It was her eighth of the season and 23rd of her career. A sacrifice fly by Mason capped the scoring for the Great Danes in the frame.

Binghamton (5-28, AE 0-13) scored its first run of the day in the bottom half of the fifth on a double by Stephanie Kolodziejski to right center. However, Marissa Powell was able to keep the Bearcats off the board the rest of the way to give the Great Danes their seventh straight victory.

Powell improved to 12-9 this season with the victory. She gave up three hits, one run which was unearned and issued one walk while fanning eight. The junior has not given up an earned run in 22 straight innings. Meghan Tucker dropped to 2-8 this season with the loss. She surrendered seven runs which were earned and eight hits in 4.1 innings. Kristen Emerling pitched 2.2 shutout innings of relief, surrendering one hit while striking out two.

UAlbany (27-10, AE 8-3) wraps up its three-game series with the Bearcats tomorrow at noon.

UAlbany 000 010 0 1 6 0
Binghamton 000 000 0 0 2 3

UAlbany: Leah McIntosh and Kat Smith.
Binghamton: Cyrilla Suker and Deannie Plemon.

UAlbany (27-10, AE 8-3) 200 050 0 7 9 1
Binghamton (5-28, AE 0-13)000 010 0 1 3 0

UAlbany: Marissa Powell and Kat Smith.
Binghamton: Meghan Tucker, Kristen Emerling (5) and Deannie Plemon.