Clermont, Fla.- The Georgian Court University softball squad opened the Sunshine State segment of its 2018 calendar Sunday as the Lions took on the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown and Concordia University-St. Paul on day one of the PFX Spring Games.

For the first time in eight years, GCU opened its Florida excursion with a win as the Lions defeated UPJ with a splendid 2-0 shutout. Georgian Court, serving as the visiting team in this contest, struck immediately in the top of the first when Samantha Reilly drove home Malia Black (single, stolen base) from second to provide the team a 1-0 lead.

That score would remain until the top of the fourth when the Lions plated an insurance run courtesy of a costly dropped pop-up by the Mountain Lions (0-2).

Jennifer Tellefsen improved to 2-1 in the circle for GCU, permitting no runs on three hits and two walks (4 K) over 5.1 innings of work. Jessica O'Neil collected her second save of the young year with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief (1 H 1 K).

In the nightcap, Concordia-St. Paul (10-4) tallied five unearned runs in the top of the first frame en route to an 11-3, six-inning victory vs. Georgian Court. Three runs in the third and two more in the fourth put the Bears ahead, 10-2. Reilly saved the Lions from an even earlier elimination when the slugger slammed a fifth-frame double off the base of the left-center fence to plate Black (reached on error, stolen base) from second.

O'Neil (1-2) was the tough-luck loser this time out as the junior permitted seven runs (2 ER) on five hits and walk (1 K) in 2.0 innings of action. Of O'Neil's 23 runs permitted this year, only seven have been earned.

The Lions (3-4) get right back at it Monday morning with contests vs. the University of Findlay (9:00 a.m.) and Bentley University (11:30 a.m.).