The Lincoln University softball team dropped both ends of their doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Gallaudet University, losing the opener 9-1 and game two 22-4.
 
The sweep drops Lincoln's record to 1-5 on the season.  Gallaudet opens their season at 2-0.
 
Lena Rodriguez (Lockport, Ill. /Joliet Catholic Academy) and Jemiah Groce (Newark, Del. /Christiana) had LU's only two hits in the opener as the Bison jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning and added a solo run in the third and five more in the fourth.
 
In the Lions half of the fifth, Fifia Waithe (Bronx, N.Y. /Life Sciences Secondary) reached on an error and moved into scoring position for Rodriguez who delivered a single to right field to score Waithe with one out.  LU's next batter lined into a double play to end the game as the Bison had an eight run lead.
 
Groce took the loss in the opener, giving up eight hits and nine runs (six earned) while striking out two.  Jackie Zacharias earned the win for the Bison.
 
In game two, the Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their first at-bat.  Tierra Russaw (Westland, Mich. /Summit Academy) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to third on two wild pitches.  Kyleigh Norwood (Falls Church, Va. /Fairmont Heights) and Selena Mulet (Baltimore, Md. /Catholic HS of Baltimore) were also hit by pitches to load the bases.  Russaw then scored on a passed ball and Groce was hit by a pitch to again load the bases. Waithe followed with a single to centerfield, scoring Norwood with the second LU run, prompting a pitching change. The Bison's new pitcher Emma Giuntoli retired the next two batters to end the LU threat.
 
The Bison scored seven runs in the first and added another in the second and plated seven more in the third to take a 15-2 lead.  Kendall Hudson and Hannah Neild had the big blows for the Bison in the third as they delivered back-to-back  inside-the-park home runs to right field.  Hudson's was a grand slam.  One inning later Gallaudet added seven more runs.
 
Russaw hit a solo home run, her first of the season down the left field line in the fourth and Groce added and RBI single in the fifth, scoring Mulet who walked and stole second before scoring on the Groce hit.
 
Groce took the loss in game two, falling to 1-5 on the season. Giuntoli earned the win for the Bison.
 
The Lions return to action on Thursday, March 7, 2019 when the travel to face Washington Adventist University for a single game in Takoma Park, Maryland.