Lakewood, N.J.- On a day that mirrored The Wizard of Oz with mighty wind gusts near 50 miles-per-hour, the Georgian Court University softball squad was hoping there was "no place like home" with a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader Friday afternoon vs. Felician College.

The adage rang hollow in the opener as the Golden Falcons defeated GCU, 13-12, in eight innings before the Lions rebounded with a 7-0 blanking of Felician in the nightcap. Georgian Court ends the day with an 11-12 record (5-1 CACC) while the visitors leave the diamond at 9-12 (1-5 CACC).

GAME ONE

For the second straight day, the Lions yielded two first-inning home runs (including lead-off dingers in both) as RF Natalie Quintanilla and 1B Ciera Clark went deep to give the Golden Falcons an early 2-0 advantage. Both teams stayed off the scoreboard until Felician added two runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to seemingly secure the road win at 8-0.

Entering the home half of the sixth with one hit on the day and in need of at least one run to avoid "mercy rule" elimination, the Lions awoke its lumber and exploded for seven runs on six hits in the frame and cutting the deficit to only one at 8-7. Hungry for the upset, Felician expanded its lead to 9-7 by plating a run in the top of the seventh.

Facing defeat square in the face for the second straight frame, 1B Emma Erbig worked a lead-off walk before C Meghan Sfraga brought the house down with a clutch game-tying long ball to center to tie the affair at 9-9. Felician carried its offensive intensity into the eighth frame and snapped the tie by scoring four runs on four hits and two GCU miscues to make it a 13-9 lead for the Golden Falcons.

Trying to stay alive for the third straight inning, the Lions made things exciting in the last of the eighth with three runs on three hits and an error, but fell just short of evening the score.

Macy Chase, the Golden Falcons' third hurler of the contest, earned the win (3-6) after permitting five runs (2 ER) on six hits and a walk (1 K) in 2.1 innings of relief work. Tina Morgan, also coming out of the bullpen, suffered the defeat (3-3) by allowing seven runs (2 ER) on seven hits and bases-on-balls (1 K) in 2.2 IP.

Clark was the slugging star for Felician as the first baseman went 4-for-4 with two long balls, a double, three runs scored and five RBI. GCU's Sfraga presented a 2-for-5 effort with three runs and three ribbies while SS  Briana Molino went 3-for-4 with two runs and two runs batted in.

GAME TWO

After falling just short in the opener, The Lions immediately got back to work in the nightcap by pouncing on Felician for five runs on seven hits in the initial frame. 3B Taylor McDonough drove in the first two with a double to right while Erbig brought in her teammate with a two-bagger of her own, before being thrown out trying to advance to third. Sfraga immediately followed with her second home run on the day, a solo shot, before CF Bryana Smith closed the scoring with a RBI single to center.

DP Kelly Hardiman provided a run-scoring knock in the 3rd inning before 2B Justine Mattia concluded the GCU scoring after blasting a solo shot dinger in the fourth frame.

Freshman Abby Merryman (3-3) shined in the circle for Georgian Court by scattering two hits and two walks (3 K) in the seven-inning shutout. Chase, after winning the opener, fell to 3-7 in game two after allowing seven runs (7 ER) on 12 hits (1 K) in four inningd of action.

Hardiman (3-for-3, R, RBI) and Sfraga (3-for-3, 2 R, RBI) each collected three-hit efforts while Erbig (2-for-3, RBI), Mattia (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI) and McDonough (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI) tallied two each.

The Lions travel out of conference Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. double-dip at the University of New Haven.