WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University softball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader to Southern Virginia University here Thursday afternoon at the GU Softball Complex. The Knights broke open a 4-4 tie in the first game with 12 runs in the sixth to win 16-4 and held on to win 9-4 in the second game.
 
Gallaudet (3-3) extended the second game in the bottom of fifth inning with three runs. The Bison trailed the Knights (8-2) by eight runs and needed at least one run to continue the game into the sixth inning.
 
Sophomore Caitlyn Smith (Indianapolis, Ind.) broke up the no-hit bid by Southern Virginia starting pitcher Madison Lloyd (1-0) with a single to center field to start the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Lou Cherena (El Paso, Texas) reached on a great bunt to put runners on first and second base. The Bison runners moved up a base after a groundout. That set the stage for freshman outfielder Aileen Balcazar (Burbank, Ill.), who smacked a double to left field as Smith scored and Cherena got held up at third. Freshman Lacey Drolsbaugh (Lansdale, Pa.) followed with an RBI groundout. Lloyd then threw a wild pitch, which allowed Balcazar to scamper home from third base to cut the lead to five, 8-3.
 
The two teams both scored a run in the sixth and Gallaudet loaded the bases with no outs but couldn't push across a run as Lloyd got out of the jam to secure her first win of the season.
 
GU starting pitcher Elaine Swecker (San Diego, Calif.) took the loss in the circle as she threw 2.1 innings before Drolsbaugh came on to finish the game. The Bison defense made four errors in the field to extend innings as the Knights only scored five earned runs.
 
In the first game, freshman Christina Elsbury (Uniontown, Ohio) smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence as GU trailed 3-2 after one inning.
 
The Bison tacked on two runs in the bottom of the third inning as junior Ariel Senics (Fishers, Ind.) doubled to left-center field to bring home Elsbury and junior Emma Giuntoli (Austin, Texas) to knot the game at four apiece.
 
The game remained 4-4 until the top of the sixth inning when the Knights batted around and scored 12 runs. Krystal Kemp smashed a grand slam home run down the left field line and came up, again, and hit a two-run home run to left field. Kemp finished the game 3-for-5 with seven RBI, three runs and added an RBI double in the first inning.
 
Southern Virginia starting pitcher Malia Davis (2-0) earned the win in the first game while Elsbury (2-1) took the loss. Both pitchers threw complete games in the six-inning contest.
 
UP NEXT
GU will head to Florida for Spring Break games this weekend. The Bison will face North Park University on Monday, March 13, at 9 a.m. at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex in Kissimmee, Fla.