LYNDHURST, N.J. – Despite a 5 for 8 performance from freshman shortstop Mia Martinez (Bronx, N.Y./Ursuline Academy), the Felician University softball team dropped both ends of its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader to visiting Georgian Court University on Monday afternoon at the Lyndhurst Recreation Complex. Georgian Court was victorious in the day's opening game, 7-5, before earning a 5-4 Game 2 triumph.

Martinez had a double in each game for the Golden Falcons, who saw 11 of their 16 hits on the day go for extra bases. Felician, however left 16 runners on base during the twinbill. Junior right-hander Mikayla Gilgert (Queen Creek, Ariz./Apache Junction) (2-1 was the winning pitcher in each game for the Lions (3-1, 2-0 CACC).

GCU scored a run in the first inning and three in the third for a 4-0 Game 1 lead. Felician cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the third on a two-run double by Vienna Chierchia (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan). The Lions, however restored their four-run edge in the very next frame, as Elisa Lopez (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) and Alyssa Herrera (La Palma, Calif./John F. Kennedy) began the inning with consecutive home runs.

The Golden Falcons were still down by four, 7-3, heading into the bottom of the seventh. They put their first three runners on base, including an RBI double by Nicole Spiegelberg (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee) to allow the potential tying run to bat. Sam Melendez's (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) sacrifice fly pulled the hosts closer, but Lion reliever Jennifer Tellefsen (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) retired the next two batters to earn a save.

Designated player Taylor Barraza (Buena Park, Calif./Sunny Hills) was 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBI for GCU. Gilgert (four innings) and Tellefsen (three) combined to allow eight hits and strike out nine Golden Falcon hitters. Freshman center fielder Daisha Howard (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) hit her first career home run and Martinez was 3 for 4 with two runs scored for Felician.

Trailing, 5-1, Felician plated three runs in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 on a Melendez solo homer and a two-run double by Krystina Lorch (Hemet, Calif./West Valley). But neither team scored again for the rest of the game. Golden Falcon redshirt freshman Alexis De La Cruz (San Jacinto, Calif./San Jacinto) pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit relief, but her teammates could not break through against Gilgert, who fired 4 1/3 scoreless frames out of the Lion bullpen.

Lorch finished with two doubles and three RBI and Martinez was 2 for 4 for Felician (1-9, 1-3). GCU's Kiara Meikle (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs) was 3 for 4 with a triple.

The Golden Falcons are scheduled to be back in action on Thursday for a home CACC doubleheader against Caldwell University.