WASHINGTON - It was a beautiful spring day in the nation's capital here Wednesday as the Gallaudet University softball team took to its home field for the final time this season. The Bison played host to Penn College of Technology, the first-place team in the United East Conference - Volt Division, at the GU Softball Complex.

The match up was tough to start with for the Bison but poor fielding and lack of offense made things even more difficult against the Wildcats. Penn College (24-8, 14-4 United East) swept the two games by the scores of 9-0 in six innings and 11-0 in five innings. Gallaudet (4-24, 0-18 United East) will close out the season on the road this weekend.

Game 1: Penn College 9, Gallaudet 0 (F/6)
Sophomore starting pitcher Lacey Drolsbaugh (Lansdale, Pa.) was impressive out of the gate as she only surrendered one hit in the first two innings and retired the Wildcats in order in the second during a scoreless game. The Wildcats pushed across one run in the third but the Bison hung around with the Volt Division first-place team.

The game began to go sideways on the Bison in the fourth inning when Drolsbaugh recorded a strikeout to begin the inning but the ball got away from the GU catcher and a throwing error allowed the Wildcats to have a runner in scoring position with no outs instead of one out and no one on base. Penn College starting pitcher Mackenzie Weaver (2-for-4, two runs) followed with a RBI double and later scored on another Bison error. Penn College scored three times in the fourth and led 4-0. The Wildcats plated two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to activate the eight-run mercy rule after five innings.

GU couldn't create much offense against Weaver (12-6), who finished with eight strikeouts and three walks in six scoreless innings and only allowed two Bison hits. 

Drolsbaugh (2-12) took the loss in six innings of work and three strikeouts. 

Game 2: Penn College 11, Gallaudet 0 (F/5)
The first inning was literally a comedy of errors for the Bison as they made six fielding errors with three coming on one play as Gallaudet finished with a season-high 10 errors in the game. All seven runs scored by the Wildcats in the first frame were all unearned as starting pitcher Christina Elsbury (Uniontown, Ohio) did not receive help from the defense. Penn College's third batter, Grace Lorson, stepped to the plate and grounded a ball to second base but the ball was mishandled by the Bison fielder as the ball went out to right field. Gallaudet's outfielder then made an errant throw home as the ball went to the backstop. The Bison catcher scooped up the ball and threw it away trying to get Lorson at third base. Lorson, who slid into third base, popped up and ran home to score a run on the three-error play. Four straight Wildcats reached base due to Bison errors. 

The Bison faced another top United East pitcher in Fayth Anderson (11-2), who only allowed a bunt single and a single up the middle to the Bison in five innings pitched with no walks and nine strikeouts.

Elsbury (2-12) took the hard-luck loss as she only allowed three earned runs out of 11 in five innings pitched.  

UP NEXT
Gallaudet travels north to Pennsylvania this weekend to play four games. The Bison will first stop at Albright College (5-28) in Reading, Pa., on Friday, April 26, at 3 p.m. for a pair of non-conference games. Gallaudet last faced Albright back in 2014 during a Spring Break trip to South Carolina. The two teams also faced off in a neutral game back during the 2009 season. The Lions hold a 2-1 edge over the Bison in the series. 

The Bison will close out the 2024 season on Saturday, April 27, at Penn St.-Berks (18-13, 11-7 United East) for two conference games with first pitch set for 1 p.m. on Senior Day and Pink Day for the Nittany Lions.