WASHINGTON - It was another day of firsts for the Gallaudet University baseball program as the Bison split a doubleheader with Cazenovia College at Hoy Field. 

The Bison saw several freshmen perform well at the plate, a senior starting pitcher throw his first complete game of the season and freshman pitcher Christina Elsbury (Uniontown, Ohio) struck out her first batter in a game.

It felt a little like deja vu as Gallaudet dropped the first game by the same score of Saturday's loss to Elmira, 22-3, and won the second game 11-4 over Cazenovia. The day before, the Bison beat Elmira, 11-3.

In the first game, Cazenovia (1-1) jumped out to an early 10-0 lead and scored runs in the first six innings en route to its first win of the season. 

Seniors Darren Drolsbaugh (Lansdale, Pa.) and Austin Sliva-Wynne (Rosenberg, Texas) drove in one and two runs, respectively, with RBI singles.

Drolsbaugh (0-1) took the loss on the mound as he threw the first three innings as Cazenovia scored 12 runs on 13 hits and two walks.

The lone inning the Wildcats were held scoreless was in the seventh when Elsbury came in to face five batters. She allowed one hit, got two fly outs and struck out her first batter.

"I am honored to be part of the Gallaudet baseball program and to do my part as a reliever," said Elsbury after the game. "I honestly had no idea it was my first strikeout. I was focused, motivated and ready to face the next batter and get my team out of the inning."

In the second game, Sliva-Wynne (1-0) pitched a complete game as he worked fast and efficiently against the Wildcats. He surrendered four runs (two earned) on five hits, walked one and struck out eight as he faced 31 batters in the seven-inning game. 

The top of the order delivered at the plate as the first four batters went a combined 8-for-14, eight runs, seven RBI as the Bison (2-2) scored twice in the first, third and fifth innings and five times in the second.

Sliva-Wynne had a two-run double in the second, Drolsbaugh hit a two-run home run in the third and Diaz finished the game with two RBI doubles.

Freshman Darico Castillo (Passaic, N.J.) went 2-for-2 at the plate with three RBI and a triple while fellow freshman Brandon Washington (Citronelle, Ala.) picked up three singles and scored two runs as he reached base four times in the win. Washington was the starting quarterback for Gallaudet's football team last fall.

Cazenovia starting pitcher Dan Kellenbenz (0-1) took the loss as he lasted two innings as the Bison went up 7-2 on the Wildcats.

BISON TRACKS

• This was the last time Gallaudet baseball would face Cazenovia on the diamond
• Cazenovia College is closing at the end of this semester
• Cazenovia used to be in the same conference as the Bison and since 2011 the Bison are 15-5 against the Wildcats.
• In that span the Bison were 10-4 at Hoy Field against Cazenovia

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will host the Bison Baseball Classic this weekend at Hoy Field. The three-day tournament will feature Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Canton and Washington (Md.) College. The Bison begin against the Shoremen on Friday, Feb. 24, at 10:30 a.m. Washington College and RIT will play at 2 p.m. The tournament will have two games each day at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The full schedule is on the Gallaudet Baseball Schedule page.