LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Felician University sophomore first baseman Mia Montoya (Cypress, Calif.) went 6 for 8 and teammate Nicole Spiegelberg (Blauvelt, N.Y.) drove in six runs, but the Golden Falcons lost both ends of their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference softball doubleheader, 7-6 and 11-8, to host Georgian Court University on Friday afternoon on the GCU campus.
Felician (8-9, 0-2 CACC) was playing for the first time since Mar. 9. The twinbill was a make-up of a snowed out date to be hosted by the Golden Falcons on Mar. 18, and as such, Felician batted last in both of Friday's contests.
The day started off wildly, as Georgian Court (3-15, 2-2) plated five runs in the top of the first inning of Game 1. Samantha Solomon (Toms River, N.J.) hit a two-run home run, and Noel Arrellano (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) followed with a three-run shot later in the frame. The Golden Falcons, however, answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning.
Felician, however, was never able to take the lead. The Golden Falcons pulled to within 6-5 on Racquel Manzo's (Whittier, Calif.) homer leading off the third, and both teams plated single runs in the fourth. But that concluded the game's scoring. Lion freshman Taylor Baloga (Dupont, Pa.) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to preserve the one-run edge and earn her first career save.
Montoya was 3 for 4 and Spiegelberg (2 RBI) and Jackie Dueñas (Riverside, Calif.) had two hits each for Felician, which left nine runners on base. Lindsey Fischbach (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) also homered for GCU.
The Lions tallied six unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning to earn a come-from-behind Game 2 triumph. GCU picked up only one hit in the fateful stanza. The Lions were walked twice, hit by a pitch, and took advantage of four Felician errors. The Golden Falcons brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the home half of the seventh, but Georgian Court sophomore left-hander Jessica O'Neill (Levittown, Pa.) recorded a pair of groundouts to secure the victory.
Spiegelberg hit a three-run home run in the first for Felician, which led, 6-2, after three innings. She drove in four runs for the game. Montoya was 3 for 4 with a double and her first home run of the season, and Zeaenna Brackett (Woodbury, N.J.) and Steph Donah (Clark, N.J.) were each 2 for 4. Bryana Smith (Robbinsville, N.J.) homered and drove in four runs for the Lions.
