Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Georgian Court University is 2-0 to start a campaign for the first time in nine years as the Lions opened the 2019 Myrtle Beach Snowbird Freeze Out with a pair of thrilling victories in Friday softball action.

GAME ONE

An Elisa Lopez two-out, two-run homer in the top of the seventh-inning capped a thrilling comeback in the first contest of the day as the Lions stunned previously-undefeated West Virginia State University, 6-5.

After a scoreless initial frame, the Yellow Jackets (4-1) brought across a trifecta of tallies in the home half of the second, courtesy of a two-run single from freshman designated player, Emily Moore (Scott Depot, W. Va.) and a sacrifice fly off the bat of starting pitcher, Kasey Murphy (Fr. Ironton, Ohio).

The Lions answered with a run of their own in the top of the fourth after an infield single from 3B Mikaela Power brought around pinch-runner, Malia Black, to make the score 3-1. The Yellow Jackets took no time at all to counter Georgian Court's offensive burst as a stinging two-run dinger to left-center by Murphy increased the WVSU surplus to 5-1.

Georgian Court, sticking to its resolution to be the apotheosis of a mentally-tough unit, proceeded to immediately chip away at its deficit as the Lions plated a lone run in the fifth (Samantha Reilly RBI single) and a pair of unearned digits in the sixth.

The surging Lions continued to pounce in the seventh-and-final frame as Reilly reached on an All-American one-out, 13-pitch walk. After 1B Marissa Trezza was retired with a fly out to center, Lopez ended lengthy at-bat of her own (six pitches) and launched her aforementioned long ball, completing the stunning comeback.

Jessica O'Neil (1-0) fired 2.1 innings of stellar one-hit relief (1 K) to earn the pitching victory for the Lions. Murphy turned in a gallant performance for WVSU in the setback as the freshman yielded three runs (2 ER) on three hits and four free passes (8 K).

GAME TWO
GCU carried its momentum into the nightcap vs. Slippery Rock University as the Lions struck with a three-spot in the third, thanks to a Malaya Black sacrifice fly and a two-run single off the sizzling stick of Trezza (2-for-3).

Samantha Salomon provided the remaining three tallies for Georgian Court as the junior slugged a 0-1 pitch over the left-field fence, fitting the Lions with an insurmountable 6-0 advantage.

Mikayla Gilgert (1-0), in her collegiate debut, was in complete control of the SRU lineup as the freshman yielded just a lone hit and walk (1 K) over six shutout innings for the victory. Slippery Rock's first knock did not come until two outs in the fifth. Camie Shumaker (So.-Lancaster, Ohio) suffered the setback for SRU (3.0 IP, 4 H 3 R, 1 ER, 2 K).

GCU returns to the diamond on Saturday afternoon with regional contests vs. Clarion University (12:00 p.m.) and Millersville University (2:00 p.m.)