WASHINGTON – It was a clean sweep for the Gallaudet University softball team on a frigid Saturday afternoon at the GU Softball Complex as the Bison took two from Baptist Bible (Pa.) College. The Bison won the first game, 6-5, in eight innings and took the second game 8-0 in five over the non-conference foe.

In the first game, the Bison used small ball to score the game's first four runs. GU scored on a passed ball, wild pitch and two infield ground outs through the first three innings of play. Baptist Bible (0-2) responded with three runs in the top of the fourth inning as Kristen Corbett drove in two on a triple.

Gallaudet (2-2) led 5-3 entering the seventh inning as the Defenders rallied to tie the game and force extra innings. Baptist Bible nearly took the lead when Corin Landry flew out to GU freshman center fielder Kimberly Klock (Puyallup, Wash.), who made a nice diving catch. Klock bounced up and threw out Amber Kachelries, who tried to tag up from third base and race home but catcher Emily Livermore (Havre de Grace, Md.) applied the tag on the double play.

The game went to extra innings where both teams had to use the tiebreaker rule of placing a runner on second base. In the bottom of the eighth inning, pinch runner Anna Lynch (Falls Church, Va.) stole third base with one out and then scored on a RBI single to right field by sophomore Emily Forsberg (Riverside, Calif.).

Junior pitcher Montana Murphy (Simi Valley, Calif.) won her first game of the season as she pitched eight innings where she allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts.

The Bison jumped out to an early lead in the second game, scoring four in the first inning. Senior first baseman Caitlin Stevens (Glen Allen, Va.) came through with a RBI ground out as GU led 4-0. Freshman right fielder Adele Fass (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored Gallaudet's fifth run in the bottom of the fourth on a Baptist Bible wild pitch. Fass later ended the game in the fifth when she reached base by an error by the right fielder as Katie Alfsen (St. Augustine, Fla.) scored to end the game, via the mercy rule, 8-0 in five innings.

Senior pitcher Rachel Sweigart (Big Rock, Ill.) pitched a complete game shutout in the second contest. She allowed four hits and struck out three batters as she improved her record to 1-1.

Gallaudet will continue its homestand when it hosts McDaniel College tomorrow (Sunday, March 2) for two non-conference games starting at noon.