Clermont, Fla. - The Georgian Court University softball squad kicked off the 2015 campaign Sunday with its annual trek to the Sunshine State as the Lions participate in the PFX Spring Games.

GCU opened the afternoon with a 16-6, 5-inning setback to Saginaw Valley State University in the opener before falling to regional rival, NYIT, 10-1 (6 innings) in the nightcap.

GAME ONE
A nine-hit, 13-run top of the second set the tone early as the Cardinals (3-3) staved off a surging Lions' lineup to hold on for the win. GCU (0-2) rallied for a six-spot (on four hits) in the bottom of the third, but the "home team" simply ran out of time.

Saginaw's Anna Conard (Fr.-Green Bay, Wis.), earned the victory with 2.2 innings of relief out of the SVSU bullpen while Georgian Court's Katie Sorochka dropped to 0-1 in her GCU debut.

Senior Alyssa Paradiso sliced a three-run double to left-center in the run-scoring third while 1B Kelly Hardiman crunched a two-run double to center in the same frame. SS JoLei Buonanno picked up her first collegiate RBI with a single up the middle.

GAME TWO

The Lions got on the scoreboard early after a Paradiso double and an RBI single off the bat of Alycia Marsello provided GCU with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

The Bears (1-1) countered with four runs in the third frame, courtesy of a grand slam by 1B Kat Zabielski (Jr.-Farmingdale, N.Y.), before putting the contest away with three addtional runs in both the fifth and sixth innings.

Sofia Evangelista (Fr.-Massapequa, N.Y.) earned the win in her first collegiate start for the Bears while Courtney Tylutki (0-1) suffered the defeat in the circle for GCU.

Georgian Court returns to the diamond Monday afternoon with ballgames vs. Southern Wesleyan University (1:00 p.m.) and Lake Erie College (3:00 p.m.)