AURORA, N.Y. - The Gallaudet University softball team celebrated a United East Conference doubleheader sweep of Wells College here Friday evening. The Bison (5-31, 5-21 United East) run-ruled the Express (0-26, 0-22 United East) with a 14-5 and 24-15 win in five innings. The victories snap an 18-game losing streak for the buff and blue. 

Game 1: Gallaudet 14, Wells 5 (F/5)
Gallaudet scored early and broke open the game with a nine-run fourth inning as the Bison scored runs in every inning but the second. The game was tied 4-4 as the teams went into the fourth before GU scored nine times on eight hits (four doubles) and one error.

The Bison received at least one hit from eight of their nine batters as four of those batters had two hits. GU finished the game with six doubles with two coming off the bat from freshman Caitlyn Smith (Indianapolis, Ind.). Smith, sophomore Emma Giuntoli (Austin, Texas) and freshman Isabella Paulone (Fishers, Ind.) drove in two runs each. Smith scored a game-high three runs as five different Bison scored two or more runs.

Freshman pitcher Anya Pothorski (Indianapolis, Ind.) took the win in the circle as she only allowed four hits and recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts in her complete-game victory. This is Pothorski's second win this season (2-7) and fourth complete game.

Wells College pitcher Megan Litzenberger took the loss as she allowed 14 runs (10 earned) off of 12 hits, three walks and one strikeout. 

Game 2: Gallaudet 24, Wells 15 (F/5)
In the first inning, Gallaudet batted around and scored 13 runs on five hits, nine walks, one hit by pitch and one fielding error as the Bison took an early 13-0 lead. Wells chipped away at the Bison lead and scored six times in the bottom half of the first and plated eight runs in the second as the two teams were knotted at 14 apiece after two innings. 

GU took a 15-14 lead in the fourth when Pothorski doubled home sophomore Kate Lorenzo (Omaha, Neb.). 

In the fifth, Gallaudet scored nine times on eight hits as freshman Kaci Ketchum (Austin, Texas) blasted not one but two two-run home runs. Smith added a RBI triple while Lorezo doubled home a run. Giuntoli and Paulone added RBI hits in the fifth.

Smith (two triples) and Lorenzo finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored. Pothorski and Ketchum led the team with four RBI each as the pair went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Freshman Emily Nover (District Heights, Md.) was the fifth Bison with two or more hits and two runs scored. GU had eight batters scored two or more runs.

Giuntoli (1-8) took the win in the circle as she pitched 3.1 innings of relief and struck out three. 

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will finish its 2022 season tomorrow (Saturday, April 30) at 1 p.m. with a conference doubleheader at SUNY Morrisville (5-29, 5-21 United East).