VESTAL, N.Y. – Molly Flowers turned in a tremendous effort in the circle and Meghan Royle's solo home run proved to be the difference as the University of Maine softball team defeated No. 1 Binghamton, 2-1, to advance to its second-straight America East Championship.
 
The Black Bears will meet No. 4 UAlbany on Saturday at noon in a rematch of last season's title game. Maine, who will have to beat the Great Danes twice to capture the championship, will be looking for its fourth league title.
 
Flowers, who pitched out of several jams, tossed a complete game, giving up just one run while scattering seven hits and fanning five. As a unit, Maine combined to strand 13 Binghamton baserunners.
 
Royle, who has now driven in six runs in the tournament, finished the day 1-for-2 with a home run and two runs. Alyssa Derrick added a pair of hits with an RBI double.
 
The Black Bears were quick to jump on top, plating a run in the top of the first. Royle drew a walk before coming around to score on Derrick's opposite field double off the wall in right.
 
Binghamton answered with a run in the home half of the first. With runners on the corners and one out, Kate Richard pulled a single to left, scoring Gabby Bracchi.
 
The Black Bears regained the lead in the top of the third when Royle crushed her fourth home run of the year over the wall in left.
 
Binghamton threatened in the bottom of the fourth. Trailing by one, the Bearcats loaded the bases. Binghamton's Jill Bovitt worked the count full but Flowers came up big, freezing Bovitt to get the strikeout, escaping the jam with no harm.
 
The Bearcats again posed a threat, this time in the sixth. With runners on second and third and one out, Flowers and the Maine defense again escaped the jam. A lineout snagged by Sarah Coyne preceded a flyout to Rachel Carlson in center. Maine would enter the seventh clinging to its 2-1 lead.
 
Once again, Binghamton looked to rally, this time in the bottom of the seventh. The first two Bearcats reached before Kristen Niland snared a foul pop out of the Maine dugout for the first out of the inning. Crysti Eichner followed with a sharp single up the middle. Binghamton's Stephanie Ragusa hit third and rounded, looking to tie the game. However, Carlson had other ideas as the center fielder came up firing, tossing a dart to the plate. Maddie Decker applied the tag for the second out of the seventh. Flowers forced a flyout to left, ending the game and sending Maine to the America East Championship with a 2-1 victory.
 
-UMaine-