CLERMONT, FL- The Georgian Court University softball squad opened the 2011 campaign with a pair of contests Sunday afternoon in the Sunshine State at the NTC Games. The Lions left the diamond with rubicund skin and an 0-2 record as GCU fell to St. Anselm College (NH), 9-4, and the #1 team in the country, Valdosta State University (GA),10-0, in five innings.

GAME ONE

Georgian Court jumped out to a quick 3-0 advantage on RBI doubles from 3B Kelsey Cutler and 1B Courtney Cuevas. CFJess Comiskey and SS Selina Santillo led off the home half of the first with back-to-back singles before scoring on a Cutler drive over CF Raylyn Glavin's (Sr.-Saugus, MA) head. Cuevas immediately answered with her own drive to center to plate Cutler.

The Hawks (0-1) answered with four scores of its own off starting pitcher Shannon Dukes in the top of the third on a bases loaded , bases clearing triple down the left field line by C Lauren Galavotti (So.-Marion, MA) before scoring on a Dukes wild pitch.

Dukes (0-1) had control issues all game, yielding nine walks and uncorking four wild pitches in 4.2 IP. St. Anselm put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth with three more runs on three walks, three stolen bases, two wild pitches and a ribbie single to right by DP Mary Fay (So.-Stoughton, MA).

Shannon Dalton (So.-Concord, MA) earned the complete-game victory for the Hawks, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks, while also striking out eight. Comiskey went 2-for-3 at the plate for GCU with a walk, run and a stolen base.

 GAME TWO

GCU starting pitcher Brooke Hull held the Blazers (3-0) at bay, yielding a lone run in each of the first two innings. However, the Lions' lineup could only muster one hit, a third inning two-bagger from Comiskey, as Valdosta State pulled away with five runs in the third frame and a three-spot in the fourth to make it 10-0.
 
Hull (0-1) went the full four frames, yielding eight earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two errors behind her. She also struck out three.

1B Natalia Morozova (Jr.-Moscow, Russia) was the batting star for the Blazers, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a triple and five RBI. SS Marti Littlefield (Jr.-Nashville, GA) went 2-for-3 with a double and triple while C Ashley Steinhilber (So.-Glen Ellyn, IL) posted a 1-for-2 effort with a walk, two RBI and three runs scored,

Holly Satterfield (Sr.-Hixson, TN) went the distance for Valdosta State, allowing only Comiskey's hit and two walks while fanning five.

Georgian Court gets right back at it on Monday with an 11:30 AM contest vs. Gannon University (PA) and a 3:30 match-up vs. Lake Superior State University (MI).