Bensalem, Pa. - Georgian Court University pounded out a combined 17 runs and 22 hits Thursday afternoon as the Lions slugged their way to a two-game sweep of Holy Family University en route to the club's first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) victories of the 2018 campaign.

In the opener, GCU started the game with a two-spot in the first, followed by three tallies in both the third and fourth frames, to take an 8-4 lead. A Caitlin Hughes RBI triple made the score 9-4 Lions after four-and-a-half innings. Holy Family's Olivia Nolan nailed her second dinger of the contest in the home half of the fifth, a two-run shot, to inch the Tigers (0-16, 0-4) to within three. Taylor Favinger followed with a run-inducing single in the same inning, but that would turn out to be the end of the home team's comeback effort.

Taylor Baloga (3-5), coming out of the Georgian Court bullpen, earned the victory (2.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB) while Holy Family starter, Hannah Miravich (0-5), suffered the setback (3.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 K). Marissa Trezza registered her first save of the season with 1.2 innings of shutout ball (1 H, 1 K).

Four Lions garnered multi-hit performances at the dish, including; Hughes (3-for-4, 3B, 2 R), Malaya Black (2-for-4, 2B), Samantha Reilly (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R 3 RBI) and Samantha Salomon (2-for-3, 2B, 3 R).

It was more of the same in the nightcap as the Pride pounced early, taking a 6-0 advantage after three-and-a-half. A ribbie single off the bat of Trezza, followed by a Lindsey Fischbach RBI two-bagger, added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to secure the sweep for the road warriors.

Hughes continued to swing a scorching stick, going 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in the second contest, while also sprinting for three stolen bases in the game. Mikaela Power enjoyed a breakout performance with a 3-for-4 effort, which included an RBI double in the second inning. Reilly ripped her conference-leading seventh home run of the year, a two-run bomb, in the third.

Trezza (1-3) secured her first win in the circle for the Lions with a solid five-frame start (5.0 IP, 5H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB). Casey Boltersdorf (0-5) took the loss for the Tigers (3.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K).

GCU (11-12, 2-2 CACC) now returns home to host Post University this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. for another CACC twin-bill.