LAKEWOOD, NJ-The Georgian Court University softball team, for the fourth straight doubleheader, spilt a pair of ballgames, this time vs. conference foe University of the Sciences.
The Devils (6-18, 4-6 CACC) scored six unearned runs on three costly GCU errors to earn an 8-7 victory (9 innings) in game one. Shannon Dukes put the Lions back on track in the night cap with a swift (1:27) 5-0 blanking of USciences, the first shutout by a Georgian Court hurler all season.
In the opener, a bases-loaded double to right center from C Kelsey Cutler gave the Lions(11-17, 3-3 CACC) a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the third.
USciences managed to tie the score in the top of the fourth on nothing more than an infield single, a two-run throwing error, and a ground out to the catcher. C Samantha Lou Anastasio (Fr.-Staten island, NY) an LF Erin Summers (So.-Pitman, NJ) led off the frame with singles. RF Gabrielle Adams (So.-Aston, PA) then smacked a chopper to GCU starting pitcher Diana Sansevera for an infield hit. Sansevera then uncorked a wild throw past 1B Courtney Cuevas allowing Summers and pinch-runner Samantha Shaver (Fr.-Wilkes-Barre Twp, PA) to score and advance Adams all the way to third base. 2B Kerrianne Jones (So.-West Chester, PA) then grounded one in front of the plate for a 2-3 putout, which brought Adams in to tie the score.
3B Sammie Jo Garafolo responded with a two-out RBI single that scored LF Christina Masitti, who led off the inning with a two-bagger to right-center, and gave the Lions a 4-3 advantage.
The Devils countered with four more tallies in the top of the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead. DH Laura Pietropola (Jr.-Galloway, NJ) provided a two-run double to right-center before a dropped infield pop fly off the bat of SS Haley Kavelak (So.-Middletown, DE) brought in the additional two runs.
A RBI double to left from 2B Rachel Ruch, a sacrifice fly to center from Cutler and a run-scoring single to left from Cuevas in the bottom of the six inning tied the score at seven-all, which would hold until the ninth inning.
Playing tiebreaker rules, USciences CF Dayna Phillips (Sr.-Rosenhayn, NJ) started the ninth at second base. She would then advance to third on a Kavelak ground out to second before coming in with the winning run on a squeeze bunt single from Summers.
Courtney Spina (So.-Thornton, PA) earned the complete game victory for USciences (9.0 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 7 BB, 4 K). Brooke Hull (4-9) suffered the loss out of the GCU bullpen (3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K).
Cutler led the GCU lineup with a 2-for-3 effort and four RBI. Garafalo (2-for-5, 2 R, RBI), SS Selina Santillo (2-for-4) and Melissa DePalma (2-for-2), who pinch-hit for RF Jen Tartaglia in the sixth inning, also enjoyed multi-hit games.
Dukes (4-5) was the star of the show in the nightcap as she scattered six and yielded a lone walk in her premiere pitching performance of the campaign. She also struck out seven Devils in the outing.
GCU got on the board in the bottom of the second on Santillo RBI single to center before tacking on four more in the fourth frame, courtesy of a Santillo sacrifice fly, a wild pitch from USciences hurler Julie Shaw (So.-Wyckoff, NJ), and a two-run single to center by Garofalo.
Shaw took the loss for the Devils (6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K).
Georgian Court returns to play on Sunday afteroon when they travel to play its arch rival, Caldwell College, for a 1PM doubleheader.
