WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University softball team lost its doubleheader against North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) foe Penn St.-Harrisburg on Saturday afternoon at the GU Softball Complex. GU lost the first game 4-1 and dropped the second game 6-3.

Penn St.-Harrisburg (8-16, 3-5 NEAC South Division) got on the scoreboard first with three runs scored in the third inning of the first game. Gallaudet (11-16, 1-6 NEAC South) got one run back in the bottom half of the inning when junior pitcher Rachel Sweigart (Big Rock, Ill.) grounded out to second base but earned a RBI when freshman shortstop Chelsea Lee (South Brunswick, N.J.) crossed the plate to cut the deficit to two runs, 3-1. Penn St.-Harrisburg got the run back in the top of the fourth inning. Neither team was able to advance a runner past first base the rest of the game.

Sweigart (5-8) threw all seven innings for the Bison and gave up four runs on seven hits with one strikeout. Lee went 2-for-3 with a run scored at the plate for the Bison. Senior center fielder Alicia Johnson (San Jose, Calif.) went 2-for-3 in the loss.

The Bison entered the bottom of the seventh inning of the second game down by five, 6-1, after the Nittany Lions scored five runs in the top half of the inning. GU tried to rally but was only able to come up with two runs. Freshman left fielder Kelsey Hudson (Blissfield, Mich.) singled through the right side of the infield to plate senior third baseman Kara Gulvas (Crown Point, Ind.) and sophomore right fielder Elena Ciccarelli (Whitesboro, N.Y.) to cut the lead to three, 6-3. The Bison had the bases loaded with the potential game-winning run at the plate but Sweigart lined out to center field to end the game.

Sophomore pitcher Montana Murphy (Simi Valley, Calif.) pitched all seven innings and gave up six runs on 10 hits with two walks and four strikeouts, to lower her season record to 6-7. Hudson went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs, a walk and a run scored. Hudson also had a dazzling diving catch in left field as she dove into foul territory to come up with the grab in the sixth inning. Ciccarelli went 1-for-3 for the Bison with a run scored.

Gallaudet takes on Penn St.-Berks (18-2, 6-0 NEAC South) at the GU Softball Complex in a conference doubleheader tomorrow (Sunday, April 14) at noon.