Lakewood, N.J. - Georgian Court University continued its resurgence Wednesday afternoon as the Lions stunned visiting Jefferson, 2-1, in the opener with some late-inning heroics, before throwing down the gauntlet with a 12-0, five-inning ripping of the Rams in the nightcap in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader sweep.

The two wins put GCU at 20-13 (11-3 CACC), the Lions first 20-win campaign since going 33-24 in 2014, a season that culminated with an appearance in the NCAA Division II East 2 Region final vs. then-Caldwell College.

After four full innings of goose eggs, Jefferson starting pitcher Stephanie Pepper took matters into her own hands as the junior ripped a solo home run to left center, snapping the stalemate and putting the visitors ahead, 1-0. 

Pepper returned to the circle and kept the Lions off the board in the home fifth with Georgian Court starter, Jessica O'Neil, returning the effort in the top of the sixth. Holding on to her slim surplus, Pepper prepped to face the top of GCU's potent lineup in the bottom of the frame. Caitlin Hughes ripped a lead-off triple to left-center to apply the heat. After a Samantha Salomon pop out to shortstop, the newly-crowned Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week, Samantha Reilly, strutted to the dish and deposited a 2-2 pitch well over the left-field wall to rip the lead out of Jefferson's grasp.

A confident O'Neil (7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB. 3 K) promptly retired the Rams (11-13, 7-5 CACC) in the seventh, which included a pair of K's to end the game, earning the junior hurler the complete-game victory, as well as her first-ever career ten-win season (10-5).  

Pepper suffers the tough-luck loss, falling to 5-4 on the year (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 B, 8 K).

Hughes's triple breaks GCU's long-standing single-season team record of seven, which was held by Sue Petjen since 1994.

A pair of runs in the first inning, followed by five-spots in both the second and fourth frames, provided Georgian Court its largest shutout win since blanking Chestnut Hill College, 13-0 back on March 27, 2012 in game two of a home double-dip.

Taylor Baloga fired a one-hit shutout (5.0 1 H, 1 BB) with a season-high five strikeouts to improve to 5-5 on the year. Jefferson's Katelyn Stys (0-4) lasted only one inning in the setback (3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB).

Salomon (2-for-2, 3 R, 3 RBI) and Malaya Black (2-for-2, 2 R, 3 RBI) provided first-inning homers, which gives the Lions 33 dingers as a team on the year. Reilly (2-for-3, RBI) and Marissa Trezza (2-for-2, 2 RBI) also collected multi-hit efforts in the win.

Georgian Court will next take on Felician University this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. when they welcome the Golden Falcons to SEI Investments Field.