College softball
America East tournament
No. 4 MAINE vs. No. 5 BINGHAMTON
Time, site: Wednesday, 11 a.m., Binghamton Softball Complex, Vestal, N.Y.
Records: UMaine 20-23 (9-7 America East), Binghamton 16-23 (9-9)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 32-20, Binghamton 3-1 (8 inn.) on 4/29/18
Key players: Maine — CF Rachel Carlson (.329 batting average, 12 runs batted in, 24 runs scored), SS Laurine German (.282-13, 20 runs), RF Erika Leonard (.275-12, 22 runs), C Maddie Decker (.262-4 home runs-24), 3B Alyssa Derrick (.219-5-29); Binghamton — CF Jessica Rutherford (.426-2-22, 30 RS), 3B Kate Richard (.310-7-32), 1B Kassidy Seary (.305-2-29), SS Makayla Alvarez (.290-4-12, 23 runs)
Pitching matchups: UMaine — RH Annie Kennedy (9-7, 1.54 earned run average; Binghamton — RH Rayn Gibson (6-12, 3.98) or RH Rozlyn Price (6-8, 4.64)
Game notes: The Black Bears have eliminated the Bearcats in the tourney the last two seasons. Binghamton leads the conference in hitting (.281) and home runs (31) and is second in runs scored (189) while UMaine is last in all three categories (.230, 12 homers, 133 runs). Most of UMaine’s veterans have slumped all season and head coach Mike Coutts is hoping they can finally break out this week. The Bearcats are the worst defensive team in the conference (.937 fielding percentage). The Black Bears won the tournament two years ago and were beaten in the championship game by Albany 6-1 in 2017. Rutherford leads AE in hitting while Kennedy has the lowest ERA. Richard has nine hits in her last 18 at-bats against UMaine with three homers and 11 RBIs. The winner plays top seed Albany at 11 a.m. Thursday while the loser faces the Stony Brook-Maryland Baltimore County loser in a 4 p.m. elimination contest later Wednesday.