Terriers have Bearcat for breakfast in N.Y.

The Boston University softball team improved its conference record to 15-1 yesterday with a doubleheader sweep of Binghamton University in Vestal, N.Y., taking the first game 4-2 before winning the second 3-2. The pair of wins, coupled with the squad’s two victories on Sunday, finished off a four-game sweep for the visitors.

The Terriers (25-17, 15-1 America East) scored three runs to come from behind in the seventh inning of the first game and claim victory, while in game two they relied on their pitching to hold off a late rally by the Bearcats (16-17, 6-8).

‘[The Bearcats] are an extremely scrappy team,’ said BU coach Amy Hayes. ‘They are a rally kind of team, and they come on strong in the late innings.’

BU struggled at the outset of game one, which started at 9 a.m., when Bearcat pitcher Michelle Weeks rolled through the Terrier batting order, striking out the side in each of the first three innings. But in the fourth, BU put a run across the plate when junior outfielder Abbey Pauley scored on a fielder’s choice to give the scarlet and white a 1-0 lead.

Binghamton struck in the sixth with two runs, thanks in part to third baseman Jen Richardson’s RBI double. The Bearcats pushed their other run across when pinch runner Lauren Verrusio took home while sophomore pitcher Julie Henneke tried to pick off a runner at first.

The BU bats came alive in the seventh, though, as the home team’s defense started to fall apart for the second straight day. With the help of two Binghamton errors, the Terriers scored three unearned runs with RBIs from freshman first baseman Liz Alley, senior pitcher Tiffany Finateri and freshman third baseman Josey Mendez, who provided the game winner.

‘[Mendez] just came out and played great ball,’ Hayes said. ‘We knew that she could do that all along; we just have been waiting for her to break out and she did.’

Finateri pitched five and one-third innings, giving up two earned runs and two walks while striking out four. But Henneke (10-5) picked up the win with her one and two-thirds innings of work, giving up three hits and no runs.

The early morning gave way to the afternoon as the Terriers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in game two on the strength of an Alley sacrifice fly that scored Pauley in the first inning and a Mendez RBI double in the second. BU extended its lead to three runs in the fifth frame when Henneke scored on another Bearcat miscue. Binghamton committed six errors on the day, totaling 14 in the four-game series.

Freshman pitcher Erin McDonald breezed through the first six innings of the game, allowing only one hit and a walk. But she ran into trouble in the seventh after second baseman Marybeth Yerdon smacked a two-run double to left to cut the BU lead to 3-2. Henneke came on in relief and gave up only one hit en route to her second career save, sealing the Terriers’ fourth straight win.

‘We weren’t as sharp as we needed to be at times,’ Hayes said. ‘Therefore, Julie [Henneke] had to come in and finish it up.’

McDonald (10-6) pitched a total of six and two-thirds innings and struck out four for her 10th win of the year. The win came on the same day she claimed America East Rookie of the Week honors, along with University at Albany shortstop Maegan Larsen. The right-hander boasted a 2-0 record and a .375 batting average last week.

Henneke also picked up some hardware yesterday, as she was named the conference’s Pitcher of the Week. Her two complete games and 14 strikeouts proved to be the difference in two Terrier wins last week, including one on Sunday against Binghamton.

Despite the four wins, Hayes still feels there is room for improvement in some areas.

‘We have fallen off the mark,’ she said. ‘And we need to get back down to business and play good ‘D.’ I think we’ll be fine once our defense sharpens up a little bit. Our hitting is still there.’

BU is scheduled to play the University of Rhode Island tomorrow in a doubleheader at the Boston University Softball Field. The first pitch is slated for 3 p.m.