Lakewood, N.J.- Having just come off a nine-game winning streak, the Georgian Court University softball squad has now dropped four consecutive Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) decisions as the Lions lost a pair vs. Post University Friday afternoon by the scores of 7-6 and 8-4. GCU now owns a 13-5 conference record (19-16 overall), putting them in 4th place in the standings.

The Eagles, with the sweep, improve to 12-4 in conference play (16-14 overall).

GAME ONE

The Eagles and Lions exchanged zeroes for the first two-and-a-half innings before GCU broke the seal in the home half of the third, courtesy of a two-run single to center off the bat of 3B Taylor McDonough. With the two ribbies, McDonough now ties for second in the CACC with 35. The score would remainin 2-0 until the top of the fifth when Post took away the lead from the Lions with a three-spot of their own. 

An Erica Ragazzone (Fr.-Philadelphia, Pa.) home run to right center put the visitors up 4-2 in the sixth before the Eagles increased the advantage to 7-2 with three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Ragazzone took credit for two of those tallies with a clutch two-out, two-run double.

The Lions did their best to mount a rally in the last of the seventh, collecting four runs on five hits in the frame, but GCU fell just short of its goal. CF Dara Schroeder laid down a bunt single in the inning, representing the junior's 200th hit of her stellar collegiate career. The Bordentown, N.J. native becomes the sixth player in program history to reach this exclusive milestone and first since former teammate Brooke Hull did so in 2012.

Kaitlin Derby (Jr.-Douglaston, N.Y.) improved to 6-3 with the win for Post, yielding six runs (4 ER) on nine hits and two walks (3 K) in 6.1 innings of work. Samantha Esque (So.-Springfield, Pa.) collected the save in the effort (1 H, 1 K).

GCU starting pitcher Abby Merryman dropped to 7-5 after allowing four runs (1 ER) on three hits and a walk (3 K) in 5.1 innings.

McDonough (2-for-3) and Schroeder (2-for-4) enjoyed mulit-hit performances for the Lions while RF Alyssa Paradiso (1-for-3) tallied two runs and two RBI.

GAME TWO

The Lions again jumped out to the initial lead in the nightcap, plating two runs in the first and a single run in both the third and fifth innings to take a 4-0 surplus. That lead disappeared in the blink of an eye in the top of the sixth when Post's Kayla Kresley crunched a grand slam to left-center, knotting the score at 4-apiece. After shutting down the Lions in the bottom half of the stanza, the Eagles added four runs on three hits and a GCU miscue to secure the comeback road triumph.

After earning the save in Game One, Esque was credited with the victory out of the Post bullpen in the second contest, tossing two perfect innings (2 K), good enough to improve to 6-5 on the year. Merryman was tagged with the defeat in the nightcap, permitting four runs (3 ER) on three hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning of relief.

Schroeder carried the the Lions with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish, including three runs scored.

The Lions return to action Tuesday afternoon with a home CACC doubleheader vs. Goldey-Beacom College at 2:30 p.m.