Clermont, Fla.- Monkeys, dismount! The Georgian Court University softball squad is feeling a whole lot lighter after finally earning its first victory of the 2015 campaign after starting the year on a 0-8 slide. GCU defeated Notre Dame College (Ohio) Friday afternoon in a 9-8 thriller at the PFX Spring Games to fill the win column for the first time on the year.

GAME ONE

The Lions (1-9) opened the contest vs. NDC with an immediate 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a Stefanie Aplin two-run single and Stephanie Grainger RBI double. As has been the case all week, however, no lead proved to be safe as the Falcons (3-6) mustered a pair of runs in both the second and third frames to tie the affair at 4-all.

After both clubs added a tally in the fourth inning to make it 5-5, Georgian Court dialed it up and provided back-to-back jacks in the home half of the fifth, courtesy of a two-run shot by Grainger and a solo blast by starting pitcher, Katie Sorochka.

Again, things proved to be interesting as Notre Dame rallied for another major comeback and knotted the score at 8-8 after plating three runs on three hits in the top of the sixth. GCU countered in the bottom of the inning as Aplin drove home the winner with a bases-loaded walk.

Sorochka earned her first victory as a Lion, improving to 1-2 with the complete-game effort.

Aplin (3-for-3) and Grainger (2-for-4) each drove in three runs apiece while Alyssa Paradiso (2-for-3) and Dara Schroeder (2-for-4) also provided multi-hit efforts.

GAME TWO

In a contest in which they owned a 3-2 advantage after three innings, Georgian Court could not hold on as Wheeling Jesuit University (3-7) dropped a seven-spot on the Lions in the bottom of the fourth, securing the advantage and soaring to a 10-5 win.

Sorochka, in looking for her second win of the day, ran out of steam after 4.0 innings pitched and suffered the defeat in the circle for the Lions.

GCU still rapped 10 hits in the game, including a pair each from Schroeder, Alycia Marsello, Kelly Hardiman, and Meghan Sfraga.

The Lions conclude their Florida journey Saturday afternoon with regional match-ups vs. Merrimack College (1:00 p.m.) and Shippensburg University (3:00 p.m.).