COLUMBUS, Ga. | Behind nine unanswered runs including six in the final two innings, the University of North Georgia baseball team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to post a 9-3 Peach Belt Conference win at Columbus State on Friday afternoon at CSU's Ragsdale Field. The Nighthawks broke open a tie game with the winning run in the eighth inning and iced the game by plating five in the top of the ninth fueled by a Tremayne Toore grand slam.

The win is North Georgia's sixth consecutive as the Nighthawks improve to 8-4 overall and 4-0 in league play.  The two teams will wrap up the three-game series with a twin bill beginning tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

With the Cougars (10-5, 3-4 PBC) up 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning, the Nighthawks (8-4) drew back-to-back two-out walks off CSU starter Mike McGinnity. Bo Edwards followed with a momentum-swinging home run to left.

In the top of the eighth, North Georgia loaded the bases with a walk, hit batsman and infield single, all with two outs. With Trevor Sams at bat, a CSU wild pitch allowed pinch runner Cameron Crawford to cross the plate to put the Nighthawks up 4-3.

Columbus State nearly stole the lead right back in its half of the eighth, loading the bases after two hit batsmen and a walk. UNG would bring in reliever Josh Bryan with two outs to put out the fire, which he did by forcing a pop out on his first pitch.

The Nighthawks blew it open in the top of the ninth. Kevin Krupp singled up the middle with the bags full, bringing in one before Toorie followed with a long fly ball to left that bounced off the top of the wall and over for a four-RBI round-tripper.

Phillip Taylor (1-0) earned the win for North Georgia after getting a big out in the bottom of the seventh. Shawn Thomas (0-1) took the loss for Columbus State by giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth. Bryan picked up his second save after his clutch out in the eighth and scoreless ninth.

Nighthawk starter Brandon Agar contributed a quality start lasting 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

Edwards led North Georgia offensively, going 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI as the Nighthawks outhit the Cougars, 10-7.