Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FAIRFAX, Va. – On Saturday afternoon Colgate took down Akron 6-4 for its third-straight victory and fourth overall, but then fell to Binghamton 4-2 in the nightcap for its  first loss of the weekend.
 
"It was really nice to see us come out and play good softball two days in a row," Colgate head coach Melissa Finley said. "The comeback win in game one was a great team effort and a dramatic way for Gillian (Murray) to earn her first career win."
 
The Raiders rallied in the seventh inning of game one to come from behind after having lost their lead in the fourth. With one out in the final inning, Katie Bushee reached first thanks to an error, which in turn sparked a three-run inning and victory for Colgate.
 
In game two, Binghamton jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage before Colgate answered in the second inning with a two-run blast from rookie Alex Wilson to cut into the lead. That hit was Wilson's first career home run. Unfortunately, an insurance run from the Bearcats in the fourth ultimately secured the win.
 
"We played very well defensively in both games and we also did a good job of putting the ball in play and making things happen," Finley added. "We just couldn't get that timely hit when we needed it in the second game."
 
Colgate (4-10) saw Tara Grennan go 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two walks during her two games. Bushee added four hits and two runs in her eight at bats, while Haley Fleming notched three hits, two runs and an RBI.
 
Both starting pitchers allowed six hits and four runs, with Gillian Murray completing game one and Megan Carnase going four innings in game two. Brigit Ieuter came in for relief in the Binghamton game and gave up just two hits during her two innings of work.
 
In the opening game against Akron, Fleming started a Raider rally after reaching first thanks to an error. On the ensuing play, Marisa Dowling singled down the right field line to advance Fleming to second. Tera Vaughn shifted the base runners 60 feet with a ground out before a Grennan double to right center scored them both for the early 2-0 Colgate edge.
 
Akron cut the Raider lead to 2-1 when the Zips recorded a single and double in the bottom half of the inning.
 
The Raiders extended their edge back to two runs in the top of the second following back-to-back doubles. With two outs in the inning, Bushee found a gap in left center before advancing to third on a wild pitch. On the next at bat, Fleming doubled up the middle to score Bushee and extend the lead to 3-0.
 
The Zips notched a big fourth inning, registering three runs to take over the lead at 4-3.
 
But Colgate answered in the top of the seventh inning after Bushee again reached base thanks to an error with one out. She was able to steal second before a Fleming single up the middle moved her to third. A Dowling ground out, scored Bushee and advanced Fleming to third after the senior had stolen second during the same at bat. Vaughn and Grennan earned consecutive walks prior to Wilson reaching on an error, which scored two more Colgate runs and secured the victory.
 
In the nightcap, the Bearcats jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the first.
 
Colgate made it a one-run game in the top of the second thanks to Wilson's homer to left center. Her hit also scored Vaughn, who had reached base with a single in the previous at bat. The Raiders had a chance to tally more runs in the inning when they found themselves with the bases loaded and two outs, but weren't able to convert the opportunity.
 
The Bearcats recorded an insurance marker in the fourth and, despite Colgate having runners in scoring position two of the final three innings, they held on to earn the 4-2 win.
 
The Raiders close out the Cherry Blossom Tournament on Sunday when they face host George Mason at 10 a.m. Colgate defeated the Patriots 6-3 Friday in the first meeting of the weekend.
 
NOTES: Colgate's win over Binghamton on Friday snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Bearcats ... Colgate's win over George Mason on Friday was its first win over the Patriots in the last four outings.