WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader Tuesday against Wilson College in North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) play at the GU Softball Complex. Gallaudet lost the first game 6-2 and the second game 6-5 in eight innings on Strikeout Cancer Day for the pink clad Bison, who were participating in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association program to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.

Gallaudet and Wilson were tied at 4-4 entering the seventh inning and neither team was able to score any additional runs even thought both teams had two runners on base during their respective at-bats.

The Phoenix (10-10, 10-2 NEAC South Division) started the bottom of the eighth inning with a runner on second base, per the NCAA tiebreaker rules. With two outs, Wilson tacked on the winning two runs. Janelle Wills reached first base safely on a throwing error and Faith Ricker scored to make the game 5-4. Ashleen McCullough (4-for-5) followed and doubled down the left field line to score Wills.

The Bison (11-21, 1-11 NEAC South) tried to rally and tie the game with two outs on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the eighth. Victoria Rainey (Danvers, Ill.) started the inning on second base, and moved up on a sacrifice, came into score when freshman Chelsea Lee (South Brunswick, N.J.) hit a single to left field. Senior catcher Nicole O'Malley (Fredericksburg, Va.), who had walked, raced around from second base and was called out at home to end the game.

Sophomore pitcher Montana Murphy (Simi Valley, Calif.) suffered the loss for the Bison after pitching all eight innings and giving up six runs (three earned) on 11 hits, walked one and struck out one. Senior center fielder Alicia Johnson (San Jose, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored. Freshman right fielder Anna Lynch (Falls Church, Va.) went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and a stolen base.

In the first game, Wilson scored a run in the first and fifth innings as the Phoenix led 2-0 in a close game. Wilson then added three runs in the sixth to take a 5-0 lead.

Gallaudet tried to rally in the sixth and seventh innings but only scored one run in each inning. Junior second baseman Mia Fernandez (Artesia, N.M.) singled up the middle in the sixth to score junior pitcher Rachel Sweigart (Big Rock, Ill.) for the Bison's first run of the game. Johnson hit a single though the left side to score Lee in the seventh.

Sweigart (5-10) pitched a complete game for the Bison as she allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits and walked five. She went 2-for-4 at the plate with a triple and a run scored while Lee went 2-for-4 with a double and one run scored.

Nicole Musser earned the win for the Phoenix after she pitched a complete game as she allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out five Bison. Tara Fields went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Wilson offense.

Gallaudet will hit the road this weekend and face first-place Penn St.-Berks (22-2, 10-0 NEAC South) in a NEAC doubleheader on Saturday, April 20, at 1 p.m. at the Hintz Athletic Fields.