Lakewood, N.J.- The Georgian Court University softball team suffered a quick exit from the 2015 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship Tournament Thursday with first day losses to #1 Caldwell University and #4 Post University to abruptly end the campaign for the Lions.
GAME ONEGCU (14-32), entering the tournament as the #8 seed, earned a first-round showdown with the top-seeded Cougars (32-12-1). After a scoreless first, Caldwell exploded for six runs in the second and two in the third to quickly secure the eventual 8-0, five-inning triumph.
Sydney Ponto (So.-West Deptford, N.J.) cruised to her 13th win of the year (13-4) for Caldwell, scattering only three hits and a walk over four innings of work (6 K).
Abby Merryman was saddled with the loss for Georgian Court (8-14), pitching 2.2 innings of relief for the Lions.
Seniors
Alyssa Paradiso and
Dara Schroeder, as well as freshman
Alycia Marsello, each recorded one of Georgian Court's three total hits.
GAME TWO#4 Post University (24-18), coming off an upset loss to #5 Holy Family University earlier in the afternoon, coasted to a split on the day by plating seven runs on 12 hits vs. GCU. The Lions pushed across their only run of the tournament in the top of the fifth after a ribble to left-center by 1B
Kelly Hardiman.
Kaitlin Derby (Sr.-Douglaston, N.Y.) improved to 9-6 for the Eagles by permitting just the lone run on eight hits and two walks (2 K) over 4.0 innings. CACC Pitcher of the Year
Samantha Esque (Jr.-Springfield, Pa.) was credited with a save after providing three innings of perfect relief.
Merryman went the distance for Georgian Court in the setback.
Hardiman paced the GCU offense with a 2-for-3 effort, which included a triple. LF
Taylor Boltersdorf also collected two hits in the season finale.
