ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Gallaudet University softball team began United East conference play here Saturday on the road at Cedar Crest College. The Bison and Falcons played a highly contested first game that needed extra innings before the Falcons walked off with a 7-6 win in the bottom of the ninth. In the second game, Cedar Crest (10-12, 2-0 United East) ran away with a 16-3 win in five innings over Gallaudet (3-17, 0-2 United East) at Blaschak Field.
 
Game 1: Cedar Crest 7, Gallaudet 6 (F/9 innings)
The Bison started off strong in the first inning with senior Caitlyn Smith (Indianapolis, Ind.) doubling home two runs as junior Lou Cherena (El Paso, Texas) and sophomore Olivia Taufu'i (Blackfoot, Idaho) scored to give the visitors a quick 2-0 lead.
 
Both teams remained quiet until the fourth inning when their scores each doubled as Taufu'i hit her own two-run double to bring home first year Shaelyn Johnson (Redlands, Calif.) and Cherena as GU led 4-1. The Falcons got back a run in the bottom half of the fourth.

The plate did not see any more action until the bottom of the seventh as GU clung to a 4-2 lead. The Falcons used two extra-base hits to help rally and tie the game at 4-4 and force extra innings.

In the eighth, each team scored one run as the tie 5-5 game went into the ninth.

In the top of the ninth, GU got runners on second and third base before first year Kinsley Bond (Beulaville, N.C.) grounded out to plate Cherena and give GU a 6-5 lead.

Unfortunately, Cedar Crest plated two runs in the bottom half off junior pitcher Lacey Drolsbaugh (Lansdale, Pa.) to walk-off the game on a Laney Ferraro two-run double. Drolsbaugh (2-7) took the loss as she struck out four batters and the Bison defense recorded a clean stat sheet in the field with no errors.

Game 2: Cedar Crest 16, Gallaudet 3 (F/5 innings)
The Bison scored two runs in the first inning, just like they did in Game 1, when Taufu'i picked up a RBI and Drolsbaugh hit an inside-the-park home run as GU led 2-0.

Cedar Crest plated three runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back. The Falcons scored three or more runs in the four innings it came to the plate. Cedar Crest increased its lead to 7-2 after two innings. 

In the third, Drolsbaugh tripled home Taufu'i to give GU its third run of the game. Drolsbaugh was stranded on third as the next two Bison batters flew out. The Falcons tacked on three more runs in the bottom half highlighted by a two-run home run from Alexis Kline.

Cedar Crest broke open the game in the bottom of the fourth with a six-run frame to activate the eight-run mercy rule after five innings.

GU added two more hits to end the game with seven as the Falcons pitcher Alexis Acevedo (5-6) struck out the final two Bison batters to end the game.

First-year pitcher Olivia Wascher (Noblesville, Ind.) took the loss in the circle as she threw three innings and finished with two strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT
GU will play at home against Rosemont College (3-17, 2-0 United East)  this Wednesday, April 2, for two conference games. The first pitch will be 3 p.m. at the GU Softball Complex.