Lakewood, N.J.- The #2-seed Georgian Court University softball squad succumbed to #5 Wilmington University, 5-2, in Sunday's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) 2014 Championship Game, resulting in the first-ever conference title for the Wildcats.

The Lions (31-21), ranked 7th in the latest NCAA East Regional rankings, now await to see if they receive an invite to the "big dance". The NCAA will announce its field this Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. on www.ncaa.com. The Wildcats earn an automatic bid by winning the CACC trophy.

Wilmington (28-24) lit up the scoreboard in the top of the second inning with solo home runs off the bats of 1B Ashley Bennett (So.-Laurel, Del.) and 3B Miranda Pederson (So.-El Segundo, Calif.) for an initial 2-0 lead. The Wildcats increased that mark to 3-0 in the third on a single up the middle from RF Colby Wyatt (Fr.-Harrington, Del.).

The Wildcats broke it open with two more runs in the top of the fifth frame to make the score 5-0, courtesy of a RBI single to left by C Michelle Panasiti (Jr.-Sicklerville, N.J.) and a run-scoring double to left from LF Becca Stanley (Fr.-Claymont, Del.). 

Georgian Court snapped the shutout in the home-half of the sixth after DP Taylor Boltersdorf led off the frame with a bunt single to third, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and came around to score on a base hit to right by CF Dara Schroeder. Schroeder was also responsible for the Lions' final run in the last of the seventh as the junior speedster laced a single to left field, plating pinch-runner Kelly Hardiman. Hardiman came in for 1B Emma Erbig after the senior led off the inning with a base hit to left.

Tournament MVP Stephanie Sarris (Sr.-Rohnert Park, Calif.) went the distance for the Wildcats, permitting two runs (2 ER) on nine hits (3 K) in 7.0 innings pitched. Sarris went 4-0 in the tournament for Wilmington, pitching all 28.0 innings.

Freshman Abby Merryman (12-7) lasted only 2.1 innings in the GCU defeat, allowing three runs (3 ER) on six hits.

Schroeder (2-for-4, 2 RBI) and Erbig (2-for-3) garnered multi-hit efforts for GCU while Schroeder, 2B Justine Mattia, and RF Alyssa Paradiso represented the Lions on the 2014 CACC All-Tournament team.