LAKEWOOD, NJ (May 3, 2023) - Needing to win one of two games to advance to the CACC Tournament Semifinals, Georgian Court Softball got the job done. Holy Family forced the if necessary game, but now in an elimination game, Georgian Court got on top early and rode strong pitching from Jackie Cherry in game two to a round one win.

Game 1 - Holy Family 10, Georgian Court 0 - 6 Innings
How it Happened
• Holy Family pushed all the right buttons in game one. 
• They outhit the Lions 11-4 with four extra base hits. GCU managed just four singles.
• The Tigers also took advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch while the Lions drew just one free pass.
• GCU starter Maddie Rabe got the first two out with ease in the top of the first. She then gave up back-to-back doubles and the Lions found themselves down 1-0 early.
• The Tigers added to their lead in the second scored three runs getting a two-RBI single from Kylee Jones and a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
• Georgian Court couldn't generate much offense in game one. There were some hard hit balls right at defenders.
• Holy Family continued to tack on. Kylee Jones made it 6-0 with a two-out, two-run home run in the fourth.
• The Tigers broke it open with four in the sixth and ended the game early, 10-0 after six.

Lions Stat Leaders
• In her final at bat, Kaitlyn Stufft hit an infield single to short.
• Jayda Jones singled and walked.
• Taylor Lipkins and Taylor Barraza each had a hit.

For the Tigers
• Makenna Patterson pitched a six-inning shutout giving up four hits with a strikeout.
• Kylee Jones was 2-4 with five RBI and two runs scored.
• Madison Grubb singled and walked twice and score three times.
• Sam Ciasullo and Lauren Hagy each had two RBI.

Game 2 - Georgian Court 3, Holy Family 2
How it Happened
• Similar to their two games last week, this was another low-scoring affair.
• Georgian Court outhit the Tigers 5-4.
• Defense played a big factor with HFU committing two errors leading to two unearned runs. Georgian Court had a clean defensive sheet.
• After getting blanked in game one, it was important to score early in game two. Kaitlyn Stufft extended her hitting streak early this time with a first inning single. That looked to be it for the Lions as Jayda Jones lifted a soft fly ball towards center. However the ball was dropped by the normally sure handed Rylee Hobel and Stufft came all the way around from first to score.
• GCU starter Jackie Cherry, starting for the second consecutive game against Holy Family, picked up where she left off last week. She was shutting down the same Tiger lineup that just scored 10 runs in game one.
• The Lions gave her some insurance and again it was Stufft. This time with two outs, she cranked one deep to left and long gone for a 2-0 GCU lead. 
• Still holding onto a 2-0 lead, the Lions took advantage of the Tiger defense again in the fifth. Taylor Lipkins' hard ground ball to first was misplayed allowing her to reach. She came into score on a sacrifice fly that would have been the third out of the inning.
• Holy Family didn't go quietly though. They broke through in the sixth scoring twice to cut the lead to 3-2.
• Georgian Court had a chance to add to their lead in the home half of the inning, but left two runners in scoring position meaning Cherry had just the one-run lead to work with in the seventh.
• After Holy Family brought Patterson, the game one starting pitcher back in for game two, that put her in a position where she was now leading off the seventh at the plate. After going the regular season with just 10 at bats and one hit, Patterson drew a walk to put the tying run on base.
• But Cherry settled down retiring the next three straight and ended the game herself getting a ground ball back to the circle.

Lions Stat Leaders
• Cherry threw all seven innings allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.
• Kaitlyn Stufft reached base three times with two hits including a home run and a walk. She scored twice as well.
• Brittany Gable was 2-2 with a double.

For the Tigers
• Sam Ciasullo started and went five innings allowing three runs, one earned on four hits. She also doubled at the plate.
• Alexis Letizia had two hits including a double.
• Lauren Hagy and Carlie Miller each had an RBI.

News and Notes
• Kaitlyn Stufft improved her hitting streak to 27 consecutive games. A streak that long has been done just 20 times in Division II history.
• The last four GCU games have all come against Holy Family. They went 3-1 with all three wins coming by a score of 3-2.
• Jackie Cherry started two of those three wins. In two starts against the Tigers she's thrown 14 innings and allowed two runs on four hits in both.
• Cherry's six strikeouts also match a GCU single-game high for the season.
• Not only has Cherry's pitching been on point, she's also fielded her position extremely well. In those two games against the Tigers she's handled all 11 chances come her way, almost one per inning pitched.

Up Next
• Win or lose, Georigan Court was set to be the host of the 2023 Tournament Championship. With the win they'll take on No. 2 seed Caldwell in the first game of the double-elimination tournament Thursday, May 4 at 1:30 p.m.