LAKEWOOD, NJ (March 21, 2023) - Georgian Court Softball was supposed to start conference play last Saturday. That didn't happen with Felician canceling games due to unplayable field conditions. So instead, the Lions started their CACC schedule with the team that knocked them out from last year's NCAA East Regional Championship. That team is Wilmington and the result in 2023, was the same as 2022 with the Wildcats winning two in Lakewood. The losses snap GCU's five-game winning streak and put them at 13-9 on the season and start them 0-2 in the CACC.

Game 1 - Wilmington 5, Georgian Court 0
How it Happened
• The Lion offense was nonexistent as Wilmington pitcher Delani Sheehan tossed a complete game shutout allowing just three hits.
• Wilmington punched just seven hits themselves, but for a team that typically relies on contact over power, hit two doubles and two home runs.
• Georgian Court made two errors in the field leading to an unearned run. Lions pitchers walked three and Wilmington didn't issue any free passes, but did commit a fielding error.
• The Lions didn't get their first hit until the fifth inning. Sheehan retired the first 10 batters before a one-out walk in the fourth gave the Lions their first baserunner. She was erased on a double-play and Sheehan had faced the minimum through four.
• Meanwhile, the Wildcats took the lead in the third as Arianna Millan led off the frame with a solo home run to center.
• Following the inning-ending double play in the fourth, Wilmington added on to their total. With two outs, Taylor Gillis doubled to left to bring home a runner from first and Sara Miller made it a three-run inning with a two-run shot to left center and a 4-0 lead.
• Georgian Court put a runner on in each of the final three innings but could never string together enough hits to drive in a run.
• Wilmington plated another in the seventh on a Miller sacrifice fly for the 5-0 final.

Lion Stat Leaders
• Janelle Blaszka went the distance. She fired seven innings allowing five runs, four earned on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
• Jordan Mendolla was 1-2 with a single.
• Kaitlyn Stufft and Savannah Simons also singled for GCU.

For the Wildcats
• Delani Sheehan threw seven shutout innings allowing three hits, no walks and struck out six.
• Sara Miller finished 1-3 with a home run and three RBI.
• Taylor Gillis singled, doubled, walked, drove in a run and scored.
• Bri Coyle picked up a pair of hits.

Game 2 - Wilmington 8, Georgian Court 2
How it Happened
• Georgian Court started the second game hot, but that spark faded quickly.
• Wilmington picked up 12 hits while Georgian Court managed four.
• Defensively, Georgian Court committed three errors which led to three unearned runs.
• The Wildcats got on the board first with a run in the top of the first. A single and a double made it a 1-0 game three batters in.
• Georgian Court responded though in the home half of the inning. Adriana Mungo doubled to right center and Kaitlyn Stufft delivered a line drive home run to left for a 2-1 Lion lead.
• The game stayed that way until the third when Wilmington sent nine to the plate and scored five times on five hits with two Lion errors.
• Lexi Moore and Sara Miller had RBI hits and Arianna Millan finished the inning with a two-out, two-run single that found it's way into right field.
• Georgian Court didn't get another hit until the sixth inning, an Alyssa Herrera hard-hit single to center, but she was left stranded at first.
• Wilmington added on in the seventh on a well-executed safety squeeze bunt from Sara Miller to score a run and a Bella Eleazar double to left for the 8-2 final.

Lion Stat Leaders
• Kaitlyn Stufft drove in both Lion runs with her home run in the first.
• Adriana Mungo doubled and scored.
• Alyssa Herrera and Jadalynn Rodriguez were both 1-3.
• Maddie Rabe got the start and lasted three innings allowing six runs, three earned on eight hits.
• Sam Hildebrandt pitched the final four innings allowing two runs, both in her fourth inning of work on four hits.

For the Wildcats 
• Kylee Gunkel settled down after the first inning to go the full seven innings giving up two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
• Lexi Moore was 3-4 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored.
• Bella Eleazar had a 3-4 afternoon with a run scored and an RBI.
• Sara Miller and Arianna Millan each drove in two runs.

News and Notes
• Kaitlyn Stufft's home run was the 25th of her career. She also played in her 100th career game.
• Lion pitchers did not walk or strikeout a single batter in game two.
• The four innings pitched were Hildebrandt's most since going five against Le Moyne on February 25.
• Twice in game two the Lions were called out on would-be base hits for making contact outside of the batter's box. 
• Game one was the first time all season GCU has been shutout. 

Up Next
• The Lions will take a quick trip to Pleasantville, NY where they'll take on Pace Thursday, March 23 for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.