DAHLONEGA | The No. 8 University of North Georgia softball team disposed of Flagler in quick fashion Friday afternoon at Hill Stadium, sweeping the doubleheader with an 8-0 run-rule win and a quick 2-1 victory. UNG advances to 25-5 overall on the year with a 6-0 record sitting atop the Peach Belt Conference standings.
 
Courtney Poole (19-1) picked up both wins for the Nighthawks without reaching the 80-pitch mark in either game. Poole only allowed three hits in the combined 12.0 innings of work, with only a leadoff triple in denying her of a perfect game in the second half of the twin bill.
 
Game One
North Georgia wasted no time getting on the board in the first game with Taylor Anne Merritt coming in to score on an Ansley Phillips groundout. UNG added two more in the third inning with a RBI triple smoked off the center field wall by Kim McMillan to score Meagan Beshears from second base. McMillan came across the plate on a Meagan May sacrifice fly to right, giving the Nighthawks a 3-0 lead.
 
Tiffanie Burns pushed across another UNG run in the fourth with her hard hit double to left center, scoring Victoria Prince.
 
A big fifth inning would give North Georgia all they would need to finish the game early. After a leadoff walk reached McMillan to start the inning, Katie Block picked up an RBI with her triple to right center. Block came in to score on a wild pitch. Prince and Burns both reached to give way to Meredith Heyer, who scorched a two-run triple down the line to put UNG up 8-0.
 
Game Two
The second game of the day started off with Kelli Parker sending a triple just beyond the reach of McMillan at first and down the right field line. Parker came home to score on a Lauren Roundabush ground out to second. However, the Saints would not reach base the rest of the day as Poole baffled the Flagler bats for the next 20 at bats.
 
UNG came away with a single run in the bottom of the fourth when Beshears was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Alexis Collis from third. Flagler's Haleigh Corbally was able to work out of a huge jam in the inning with UNG having the bases loaded with no one out and only scoring the one run.
 
The bottom of the sixth started off with an error that proved costly for the Saints as Katie Block reached on a muffed throw at first base. Block advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Prince and was brought home on a Burns RBI single to center, giving UNG the 2-1 lead.
 
Next Up
The Nighthawks are set to take on in-state rival Columbus State this Sunday at Hill Stadium. First pitch for the PBC doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.