FLORENCE, S.C. | The No. 19 University of North Georgia baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader at Francis Marion dropping game one, 4-5, before winning game two, 5-2. UNG now stands at 30-12 and continue to hold a two-game lead in the Peach Belt Standings at 20-7.
 
The Nighthawks' magic number to clinch the outright PBC title is now two. UNG would win the outright title with either two or more wins against Montevallo or one win and at least one Armstrong loss against Columbus State and a UNC Pembroke loss against Georgia Regents.
 
Game One
North Georgia got off to a great start in the first game of the day taking a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning. Sam Tidaback drove in the first run of the game with a RBI double to left center in the top of the first to bring Connor Hoover home for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Patriots got a RBI double from Zach Callahan in the bottom of the fifth to even the game at 1-1, but UNG answered in the next frame. The Nighthawks scored three on an RBI hit by pitch from Devin Gearhart and then again from Joey Cecere. Cameron Crawford came home to score on a wild pitch to give the Hawks a 4-1 lead.
 
FMU would plate the final four runs of the game though picking up three in the seventh and two in the eighth to steal the game away from North Georgia.
 
Phillip Taylor (1-2) was charged with the loss allowing two earned runs on three hits, recording only one out.
 
Game Two
The Nighthawks once again picked up a run in the top of the first as Hoover picked up an RBI groundout to score Cecere from third. Randy Loew would tie the game with an RBI single to center in the fourth.
 
UNG rallied in the top of the fifth with a RBI single through the left side from Cecere and a sacrifice fly to left by Hoover to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead. Hoover drove in another in the seventh with a RBI single to left, putting UNG up 4-1.
 
Both teams traded runs in the eighth and ninth for the final 5-2 score.
 
Dylan Peppers (5-2) earned the win for North Georgia, tossing 7.2 innings allowing two runs on just three hits while striking out 10. Taylor Keinat earned his third save of the year finishing the final 1.1 innings, striking out four of the five batters that he faced.
 
Next Up
The Nighthawks will host Truett-McConnell in the final midweek game of the season on Tuesday. First pitch for the matchup of neighboring schools is set for 7 p.m., at Bob Stein Stadium.