Lakewood, N.J. - Georgian Court University has advanced to its first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship Tournament final since 2014 as the #1 overall seed held off #2 Wilmington University, 4-2, Friday afternoon on SEI Investments Field.

With the setback, the Wildcats now take on #8 Jefferson Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. with the winner advancing to the title game vs. the Lions at noon.

GCU wasted no time getting on the board as the Lions' first five batters of the game reached base, pouncing for three runs on two hits and a walk. Samantha Reilly brought around two of the tallies with a ringing double to the right-center.

After yielding a run in the top of the second, Georgian Court earned it back in the bottom half as Samantha Salomon scooted home as a result of a costly two-base fielding error by the Wildcats to make the score 4-1 Lions. 

Neither squad could muster another run over the next four frames as top-notch pitching and dazzling defense stole the show, including highlight reel glove work from Georgian Court's Caitlin Hughes and Malaya Black. Jessica O'Neil pitching like the senior ace that she is throughout the contest, experienced her lone quandary of the day in the top of the seventh.

A leadoff walk drawn by Courtney Dellinger, followed by a sacrifice bunt from CACC Player of the Year, Rosa'Lynn Burton, set the stage for Kiana Broderson-Jones, who promptly sent a smash to the center-field wall for a run-scoring two-bagger. Alyssa Velasquez followed with a single to left field.

With runners now on the corners, Georgian Court called on Mikayla Gilgert out of the GCU bullpen. The freshman flinger, who has pitched like a veteran all year, immediately induced a ground out to third base and a line out to short to secure her team-record sixth save of the season and, most importantly, the title-game clincher for the royal and gold. 

O'Neil, who last suffered defeat over two months ago (Mar. 3 vs. Cedarville), moves to a phenomenal 18-1 in the circle with today's triumph (6.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, ER, BB, 3 K). Wilmington starting pitcher, Makayla McCarthy, who could not register a single out (0.0, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB), suffered the loss.