Lakewood, N.J.- It was a day to forget Wedneday afternoon as the Georgian Court University softball squad suffered a doubleheader sweep vs. visiting Wilmington University, erasing the Lions nine-game winning streak. The Wildcats earned two key Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) victories by the scores of 5-2 and 3-2.

GCU drops to 13-3 in conference play (19-14 overall) with the defeats while Wilmington moves to 8-2 in the CACC (16-14 overall),

GAME ONE   

The GCU pitching has struggled to keep the ball in the yard this season, yielding 27 homers this season 33 games. The Wildcats provided five of those dingers on Wednesday with the first coming off the bat of SS Kelsey Doherty (Jr.-Harbeson, Del.) to lead off the game.  The Lions evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame after 1B Emma Erbig brought home CF Dara Schroeder from second base with a single through the left side. Schroeder led off the inning with a walk and a stolen base.

Georgian Court took a 2-1 advantage in the third inning on a perfectly executed sacrifice squeeze bunt by Erbig, again bringing in Schroeder. Things took a turn for the worse in the top of the fourth as Wilmington's Michelle Panasiti (Jr.-Sicklerville, N.J.) laced an RBI double to centerfield, tying the score at 2-2, followed a two-run two-bagger off the bat of Colby Wyatt (Fr.-Harrington, Del.).

Doherty added an exclamation point to the Wilmington win with her second home run of the contest, a solo shot to right in the fifth inning.

Stephanie Sarris (Sr.-Rohnert Park, Calif.) earned the victory out of the Wildcats' bullpen, allowing just one hit and striking out eight in 4.2 stellar innings of relief. Abby Merryman dipped to 7-4 in the circle for the Lions, permitting five runs on five hits and two bases-on-balls in 4.1 innings of work.

GAME TWO

After two scoreless innings to start the nightcap, Wyatt led off the third inning with her second dinger of the day to provide the visitors with a 1-0 lead. GCU countered in the bottom of the frame to tie the affair at 1-1 on an Alyssa Paradiso ribbie double to left center. The Wildcats broke the stalemate in the top of the fourth after Ashley Bennett (So.-Laurel, Del.) and Jen Fischbach (So.-Camden, Del.) blasted solo homers to make it 3-1.

3B Taylor McDonough crunched her team-leading seventh home run in the bottom of the sixth for the Lions to make the score 3-2, but that would be the end of the offense for GCU. 

Sarris earned her second win of the afternoon, permitting two runs on five hits and a walk (2 K) in six innings. Deanna Daluise fell to 9-7 after allowing three runs on five hits (1 K) in 3.1 innings pitched. Fischbach garnered the save by pitching a perfect seventh inning for the Wildcats.

Georgian Court next takes the diamond Friday afternoon when they host Post University at 2:30 p.m.