COLLEGE SOFTBALL: HORSEHEADS GRAD RICHMOND EARNS FIRST-TEAM ALL ECAC HONORS (2022-06-09)

Southern Tier Sports Report
Binghamton infielder Alli Richmond, a Horseheads graduate, and freshman outfielder Alayna Harbaugh have been named ECAC All-Stars for the 2022 softball season. Richmond was named to the first team at second base while Harbaugh earned honorable mention distinction.

The ECAC is a college athletic conference which has 220 member institutions – ranging in location from Maine to South Carolina - across all three NCAA Division levels. Most of its members belong to at least one other athletic conference.

The ECAC honor capped a breakthrough season for Richmond. After playing in a reserve role over the previous three seasons she became a full-time starter in the infield this year and made the most of her opportunity. Richmond was named first-team all-conference by the America East and was also chosen to its All-Academic Team. She ranked No. 18 in the conference in batting (.303), tied for seventh with six home runs and tied for eighth with 27 RBI. In addition, Richmond ranked fifth in the America East with a .545 slugging percentage, was second with 15 doubles and tied for first with four sacrifice flies. Furthermore, she ranked No. 19 in the nation at the Division I level with 0.33 doubles per game.

Richmond, who will return for a fifth season next year, reeled off a career-high, 10-game hitting streak from April 23-May 8. Her signature performance came against Hartford on May 1, when she belted a career-high two home runs and tied her career high with three RBI.

Last month, Richmond graduated with her bachelor's degree and she will continue working towards her MBA this upcoming academic year. She was named an America East Presidential Scholar Athlete, an honor which is awarded to all graduates with at least a 3.75 GPA. In her sophomore year, she was inducted into the National College Athlete Honor Society.

This marks the first time that a Binghamton player has been named a first-team ECAC All-Star since Jessica Rutherford during the 2016 season.

Harbaugh, meanwhile, finished her first collegiate season with a team-best .308 batting average and ranked first in the America East with 19 stolen bases. She was chosen to the conference's All-Rookie team and was named its Rookie of the Week on Feb. 16.

In addition, Harbaugh ranked seventh in the America East with a 398 on-base percentage, was eighth with 26 runs scored and third with 21 walks. At the season-ending America East Tournament (May 11-13), she hit .308 with a double and scored a pair of runs.

Harbaugh is the first Binghamton freshman ever to receive ECAC Division I All-Star honors.

Since 2010, Binghamton has posted 12 ECAC All-Star selections. During the 2013 season, Bump was also named a first-team all-star at second base. Rutherford, who was chosen a program-best three times between 2016-18, graduated from the same high school as Richmond (Horseheads). All three players have worn jersey number 3.

PREVIOUS ECAC ALL-STAR SELECTIONS (10)
2010 (1): Deannie Plemon (2nd Team, C)
2011 (1): Jessica Phillips (1st Team, OF)
2013 (1): Jess Bump (1st Team, 2B)
2016 (2): Jessica Rutherford (1st Team, OF), Griffin McIver (1st Team, DP)
2017 (2):  Jessica Rutherford (2nd Team, OF), Kate Richard (2nd Team, 3B)
2018 (1):  Jessica Rutherford (2nd Team, OF)
2019 (2): Sarah Benn (2nd Team, 3B), Marissa Braito (2nd Team, 2B)
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PHOTO AND PRESS RELEASE COURTESY OF BINGHAMTON ATHLETICS.