Melbourne, Fla. - Georgian Court University concluded its 12-game jaunt through the Sunshine State Saturday afternoon as the Lions split a non-conference double-dip at Florida Tech in NCAA Division II softball competition.

The Lions, led by Mikayla Gilgert and her nine-strikeout performance, defeated the Panthers by a 5-2 score in the opener. Florida Tech rallied in the nightcap to garner the split, 6-5, thanks to a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh.

In game one, Georgian Court snagged a 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Lindsey Fischbach and a ribbie single from Jade Warner. The Panthers registered an unearned tally in the home half of the fourth before GCU replenished its lead to three in the fifth after a Kendalia Turner squeeze bunt, and a Haley Jones infield single that resulted in a run-inducing throwing error by Florida Tech.

Samantha Salomon's single to center in the seventh brought in Fischbach after the senior doubled down the left-field line to add the always-appreciated insurance run for the Lions.

Gilgert improves to 4-5 on the season with her complete-game effort in the circle for GCU. 

Georgian Court got out to the early lead, once again, in the nightcap as Paige Eckert crunched her first dinger of the season ( a two-run shot) to put the visitors up by a pair in the top of the first. Eckert added a RBI two-bagger to make it 3-0 Lions after two-and-a-half.

With the road team owning a 4-1 surplus in the top of the fourth, the Panthers pounced for a run in both the fifth and sixth stanzas. The Lions continued to pile on the pressure as Turner's single brought around pinch-runner Michelle Kugelmann to make it 5-3 royal-and-blue in the top of the seventh.

Samantha Fohrman, looking to match her mate with a complete-game victory, opened the final frame by walking lead-off hitter, Mikaya Wessel (Jr.-Virginia Beach, Va.). That free pass set the stage for Tina Velazquez Rolon (Sr.-Cidra, Puerto Rico), who promptly launched a two-run rocket over the right field fence to tie the contest at 5-5.

A free pass to her next batter chased Fohrman from the game, bringing Jennifer Tellefsen in from the Lions' bullpen. The senior allowed a base-on-balls to put runners on first and second with no outs. Victoria Szrom (Jr.-Egg Harbor Township, N.J.), who clubbed a solo homer the previous inning, came up clutch one more time by ripping the game-winning knock through the middle to salvage the split for the Panthers (14-11).

Fohrman, the Lions' tough-luck loser (6.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K) suffered the loss (2-6). Velazquez Rolon, enjoying a successful showing at the dish and in the circle, collected the complete-game victory (7.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 8 K).

The Lions (6-12) returns to action March 17 when they kick off the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference calendar with a twin-bill at Holy Family University (2:00 p.m.)