KISSIMMEE, FL-The Georgian Court University softball team fell to Minnesota-Mankato, 6-1, in Game One of the Lions' final day at the Rebel Spring Games.
The Mavericks (5-1) drew first blood in the top of the fifth inning when they dropped a three-spot on the Lions (8-3). Minnesota-Mankato CF Lauryn Morris (Fr.-Cottage Grove, MN) led off the stanza with an infield single. After 1B Natalie Spicer (Jr.-Minnetonka, MN) laid down a sacrifice bunt, C Julie O'Neal (West Des Moines, IA) jettisoned an RBI double to center. SS Libbie Reichling (Johnston, IA) immediately followed that with a blistering home run to right, bringing in pinch-runner Eryn Edgerton (Fr.-Wausau, WI) with her.
O'Neal struck again in the sixth, as she increased the advantage to 5-0 with a screaming two-run double down the left field line.
For the second straight contest, Georgian Court was held hitless until late in the action. 2B Rachel Ruch broke up the no-no with an infield single to start the sixth. DP Brooke Hull proceeded to line a single to right-center, advancing Ruch to third. 1B Kelsey Cutler then put GCU on the board with an RBI fielder's choice.
Minnesota-Mankato added an insurance in the seventh frame when an RBI from P Kendra Huettl (So.-Mankato, MN) scored LF Chelsea Erickson (So.-Big Lake, MN), who had led off with a triple.
Huettl earned the victory, allowing just the lone run on two hits and five free passes, while striking out two in the complete-game effort.
Diana Sansevera fell to 5-1 on the young campaign, yielding the six tallies on 13 hits and six K's. She did not walk a batter.