NEW HAVEN, CT- A day after sweeping a doubleheader vs. Le Moyne College, the Georgian Court University softball squad traveled to play a pair at Southern Connecticut State University. the Lions won the opener, 8-6, to establish a season-high four-game winning streak before falling in game two, 5-4, in nine innings.

The defeat was especially difficult considering GCU starting pitcher Shannon Dukes began the seventh inning with a no-hitter and a 4-0 lead.

Georgian Court (8-14) scored a pair of runs in each of the first two frames. CF Jess Comiskey led off the contest with a single to center and later scored the first run on  a throwing error by SCSU catcher Stacy Pouliot (So.-Mystic, CT). Kelsey Cutler plated 3B Sammie Jo Garofalo (who had followed Comiskey with a single of her own) when she reached on an error by 2B Robyn Priest (Sr.-Cheshire, CT).

The Lions added two more in the second on a Garofalo sacrifice fly, which brought in LF Melissa DePalma after she smacked a double down the leftfield line and advanced to third on another Comiskey single to center.  Comiskey, who then stole second and advanced to third on the throw resulting from Garofalo's fly ball, trotted home on a Rachel Ruch double to left-center.

Dukes and the rest of the Lions appeared to be in complete control until the fateful seventh frame when the Owls (7-6) exploded for four runs on six hits. Dukes (6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6K) struck out SS Jillian Thibault (Jr.-Ballston Spa, NY) looking to start the inning. 1B Kristin Whitley (So.-North Andover, MA) followed the punch out with SCSU's first hit of the contest, a single to right center.

This opened the proverbial flood gates as SCSU proceeded to rap four consecutive singles highlighted by RBI knocks from  DP Allison Lehner (Jr.-East Islip, NY) and  C Jessica Rosa (Jr.-Wallingford, CT) (2 RBI).  

Diana Sansevera, who earned the victory in game one, suffered the defeat in the nightcap. Lehner drew a one-out walk from the GCU ace in the bottom of the ninth and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. She would eventually score the game-winner on a  two-out single from Priest down the left field line to secure the Owls' victory.

Sansevera fell to 3-1 with the defeat (2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) while SCSU's Jayme Larson (Jr.-Aurora, CO) went the distance for her first win of the year (9.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K).

In the opener, the Georgian Court bats suffered no hangover from Saturday's sweep as they collected 12 hits in the 8-6 triumph. The Lions scored three in the second inning, three in the third and another two in the fourth to seal the victory.

Ruch was the hitting star for the Lions in this contest, going 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs, and two RBI. The long ball ties Ruch with Kelsey Cutler (2-for-4) for the team lead in homers (three).

1B Courtney Cuevas enjoyed a 2-for-4 effort with twom runs scored while RF Jen Tartaglia went 1-for-3 with two RBI, a run scored and a sacrifice fly.

Sansevera went all the way in the outing to earn her third victory of the week (7.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4K). SCSU's Brittany Hill (Jr.-Durham, CT) garnered the defeat and fell to 0-1 on the season (4.0 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 7 ER).

Georgian Court returns to the diamond Tuesday afternoon with a CACC twin-bill at home vs. Holy Family University. First pitch is scheduled for 3PM.