Clermont, Fla. - Georgian Court University broke out the lumber as the Lions pounded out 20 total hits in a pair of comeback victories vs. Edinboro University (7-6) and LIU Post (6-2) Wednesday in the PFX Spring Games.
GAME ONE
Unable to muster their first base hit until the fifth inning, GCU saved the biggest one for the final pitch as
Samantha Reilly walked off the Fighting Scots by smashing a three-run bomb over the right-center field wall, providing the Lions the 7-6 victory.
Edinboro (2-6) jumped out to an immediate 2-0 lead in the top of the first frame, courtesy of three hits and a pair of free passes. The Fighting Scots gave away its two-run cushion in the fourth when a two-out throwing error brought around
Paige Eckert and pinch-runner
Adriana Scimone to tie the game at 2-2.
The surplus would stick until the top of the sixth when a
Lauren Gierlak (Jr.-Edinboro, Pa.) two-out, two-run single to center put Edinboro back ahead by a deuce. Georgian Court immediately answered in the bottom half of the frame, evening the score one more time, thanks to a
Malaya Black RBI single through the left side and a run-inducing ground out from pinch-hitter
Lindsey Fischbach.
Edinboro's resiliency extended into the seventh when a walk, single, and sacrifice bunt set the stage for a go-ahead two-run double to left-center off the bat of
Victoria Allocco (Jr.-Victor, N.Y.), again putting the Fighting Scots ahead by a pair at 6-4.
Given one final chance to make yet another comeback,
Caitlin Hughes (2-for-4) led off the seventh with a bunt base hit before blazing to second on an Edinboro throwing error that accompanied the play.
Samantha Salomon followed with an infield single to the left side, advancing Hughes to third. Reilly then strutted to the dish and got all of a 2-1 pitch to secure the Lions' win.
Jennifer Tellefsen (3-0), GCU's third pitcher of the contest, earned the win with 2.0 innings of relief (3 R, 3 ER, 3 H, BB, K).
Bobbie Beck earned honorable mention by firing five solid frames out of the Lions' bullpen (3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB, K) to keep the victors in the ballgame.
Amanda Metz (Sr.-East Aurora, N.Y.), suffered the tough-luck defeat for Edinboro (5 R, 5 ER, 5H, BB 2 K) in 1.2 innings of relief work for the Fighting Scots.
GAME TWO
The Lions (10-3) found themselves in a familiar position in the nightcap when LIU Post struck for a pair in the bottom of the first inning.
Julia Seader (Sr.-Piscataway, N.J.) connected with a
Mikayla Gilgert change-up, driving a two-run dinger over the wall in right-center to put the Pioneers ahead, 2-0.
GCU's lethal lineup immediately countered in a big way in the top half of the second as the Lions plated three runs on five hits, highlighted by a two-run triple from
Kendalia Turner and a Hughes laser beam ribbie single off LIU starting pitcher,
Hanna Olshevski (Sr.-Robbinsville, N.J.).
Paige Eckert added a run-inducing single in the top of the fifth before adding two more insurance tallies in the seventh, courtesy of a
Haley Jones RBI single through the left side and a
Malaya Black sacrifice fly.
Hughes enjoyed a stellar 3-for-4 showing at the bat for the victors, followed by Eckert (2-for-3), Jones (2-for-4) and Turner (2-for-3) with multi-hit performances.
Gilgert (4-1) rebounded splendidly from the troubles in the initial innning as the freshman went the distance to secure her team-leading fourth win of the year (7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, K). Olshevski slipped to 1-2 on the season for LIU Post after the setback (7.0 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 K).
Georgian Court takes Thursday off before returning to action Friday vs. Assumption College (9:00 a.m.) and University of Texas at Tyler (12:00 p.m.)
