WASHINGTON – Junior pitcher Lacey Drolsbaugh (Lansdale, Pa.) was dealing in the circle Tuesday and came up aces with back-to-back complete game victories and tallied a combined 21 strikeouts.

Gallaudet (5-27, 2-12 United East) swept Valley Forge (3-29, 0-14 United East) by the scores of 8-0 in five innings and 13-5 in six innings in the final home games of the season at the GU Softball Complex.

Game 1: Gallaudet 8, Valley Forge 0 (F/5 innings)
Drolsbaugh only surrendered an infield hit in the third inning and struck out a career-high 11 batters in five innings pitched. The righthander struck out the side in the first two innings and registered at least one strikeout in each inning. She had two or more strikeouts in every inning but the third.

This was Drolsbaugh's first complete game shutout victory since April 1, 2023, when she shut down Penn St.-Abington, 7-0 in seven innings at the GU Softball Complex.

At the plate, Gallaudet started the game with four runs in the first inning and scored at least one run in every inning en route to the eight-run mercy rule victory after the fifth inning.

Sophomore Hannah Puent (Indianapolis, Ind.) had a two-run single in the first inning and senior Caitlyn Smith (Indianapolis, Ind.) added a two-run double in the fourth inning to activate the eight-run mercy rule. Puent and Smith finished the game with three RBI each. Junior Lou Cherena (El Paso, Texas), sophomore Andi Sisemore (Arlington, Texas) and first year Kinsley Bond (Beulaville, N.C.) scored two runs each in the win. Bond had Gallaudet's other extra-base hit with her first collegiate triple.

Game 2: Gallaudet 13, Valley Forge 5 (F/6 innings)
In the second game, Drolsbaugh trotted back out to the circle to toe the rubber and pitch Gallaudet to victory. The Patriots finally got their timing down facing Drolsbaugh and scored two runs in the first, one in the third and two more in the fifth but Drolsbaugh (4-11) was able to keep Valley Forge at bay.

The junior righty finished the game with 10 strikeouts for back-to-back 10+ strikeout pitching performances. Valley Forge scored five runs on five hits as Drolsbaugh issued four walks in the six-inning win. Drolsbaugh struck out at least one batter in every inning but the fifth and had two strikeouts in four of the six innings.

Drolsbaugh helped her own cause going 4 for 5 at the plate with three runs scored, two doubles, two runs driven in and one stolen base.

Drolsbaugh scored Gallaudet's first run of the game in the bottom of the first after a single, stolen base, wild pitch and passed ball. GU then hit three straight triples as Smith, Bond and Puent tripled to right field. Smith scored on her triple after a throwing error by the Valley Forge infielder. Bond scored on Puent's triple to give GU a 3-2 lead.

The Bison added a run in the second inning before the Patriots got one run back to cut the lead to one, 4-3 heading into the fourth.

Gallaudet scored three runs in three straight innings as it outscored the Patriots, 9-2 in the last three innings played.

GU ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs. First year Shaelyn Johnson (Redlands, Calif.) had a two-run single to center field before Drolsbaugh, fittingly, ended the game with a double to center field to plate Johnson and give the Bison the eight-run lead, 13-5.

Melina Ragotzy led the Patriots with a 2 for 3 showing at the plate with an inside-the-park home run in the third inning and a RBI triple in the first as she finished with three runs scored.

Valley Forge pitcher Harley Wakeman (3-17) took the loss in the circle as she surrendered 13 runs (12 earned) on 19 hits, one walk and struck out five and hit one batter.

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will wrap-up the regular season schedule this Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m. on the road at Lancaster Bible College (13-18, 3-10 United East) for a conference doubleheader.