Box Score Manchester, N.H. - Georgian Court University, making its 2021 NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament debut, collected a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over #5 University New Haven Thursday in thrilling fashion. The top-seed Lions (36-4) move on to tackle #2-seed Saint Anselm College (30-4) Friday (11:00 a.m.) after the Hawks handled #3 Adelphi University, 11-1 (5 inn.) in the day's second contest.

Things did not start as expected for the #22 team in the land as New Haven (28-8) pounced for two runs in the first, and three more in the second frame, to take a commanding 5-0 advantage and chase the CACC Pitcher of the Year, Samantha Fohrman (1.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, BB, 2 K). 

The Lions' lineup showed some life in the home half of the second as RBI singles off the sticks of Alyssa Rue (2-for-3) and Malaya Black (2-for-3) sliced the Chargers' deficit to 5-2. The score would sit idle until the bottom of the six when GCU exploded for five runs on five hits (and a very costly UNH miscue) to take over the contest. The aforementioned duo again came up clutch in the game-changing frame as Rue laced a two-run single to left, followed by a booming two-run, go-ahead triple to right by Black.

Mikayla Gilgert, who relieved Fohrman with no outs in the second, was simply masterful in the circle as the junior scattered just three hits (1 BB) over six shutout innings to record her team-leading 19th win of the year (19-2). The Georgian Court Female Athlete of the Year struck out 13 Chargers, tying a season-best (4/8 at Chestnut Hill). The contest marked only the fifth time this season that GCU permitted five or more runs in a game.

Ava Fitzmaurice (Jr.-Greenville, N.Y.) falls to 21-4 for New Haven after the setback (5.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K).

Taylor Barraza and Kaitlyn Stufft also enjoyed 2-for-3 efforts at the plate for the victors. Adriana Mungo (1-for-4) drove in the Lions' final run of the afternoon with a single in the sixth.

Georgian Court and Saint Anselm each put a 14-game winning streak on the line when they square off tomorrow.