Lakewood, N.J. - #2 Georgian Court University advances to the championship round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Softball East 2 Regional as the Lions' lumber awoke for a 9-1, six-inning dismissal of #6 Franklin Pierce University Saturday morning.

The victory moves the royal-and-gold into a showdown with CACC foe, #3 Wilmington University (36-18), with the winner moving on to play #1 Adelphi University in next week's Super Regionals. The Lions will have to defeat the Wildcats in two-straight contests as WU is undefeated thus far (2-0) in the tournament.

After four full frames of scoreless softball, GCU snapped the stalemate as Kiara Meikle sizzled an RBI single through the middle, plating Taylor Lipkins (single, stolen base) from second. The Lions broke the contest wide open in the sixth with eight runs on six hits and a Franklin Pierce miscue.

Alyssa Herrera (1-for-4, RBI), Taylor Barraza (2-for-2, 2 RBI), Alyssa Rue (0-for-3, RBI), Meikle (2-for-3, 2 RBI), Jadalynn Rodriguez (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI), and Adriana Mungo (1-for-3, RBI, BB) accounted for the run-scoring rips.

Mikayla Gilgert (27-8) fired five innings of shutout ball (4 H, BB, K) for the victory. Franklin Pierce ace, Sabrina Gonzalez (So.-Chandler, Ariz.), also went five-full (5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) in the setback.