DAHLONEGA | The 13th-ranked University of North Georgia softball team used a solid all-around day at the plate and great outings from Courtney Poole and Macy Watkins to sweep Virginia-Wise, 8-0 and 10-2, in a pair of run-rule victories on Friday afternoon at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium. The Nighthawks extend their winning streak to 19 with the two wins.
 
GAME ONE
Freshman Brittani Crawford sparked what would be another hot day at the plate for the Nighthawks with a two-run blast to center in the bottom of the second. Meredith Heyer and Alexis Collis picked up RBI singles in the third and fourth inning, respectively, giving North Georgia a 4-0 lead.
 
UNG would end the game in the sixth with a bases clearing double from Stephanie Hartness and pick up the game-clinching eighth run with an RBI fielder's choice by Crawford to score Kaycie Oakley from third, who slid in just before the throw reached home.
 
GAME TWO
Hartness got the party started in the bottom of the first with an RBI double to score Meagan May who started the inning with a double down the left field line. Hartness would come in to score on a double steal.
 
Back-to-back home runs from Jessica Finch and Heyer gave the Nighthawks a 4-0 lead and Crawford would come in to score on back-to-back wild pitches to give UNG a 5-0 lead after three innings of play.
 
After the Cavaliers scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, UNG would plate four in the bottom of the fifth to once again end the game early by way of the run-rule. Amanda Hawkins picked up a two-run single, followed by RBI singles from Kaycie Oakley and Hartness to give North Georgia the final 10-2 lead.
 
NOTES
- Courtney Poole (18-0) earned the win in both games, tossing a total of 8.2 innings allowing a combined three hits with one walk and 16 strikeouts.  
 
- Brittani Crawford, Jessica Finch, Meredith Heyer all went deep on the day. Crawford and Finch both have two homers on the season now, while Heyer paces the team with six. 
 
- UNG stole a total of six bases on the day. The Nighthawks rank second in the PBC with 42 stolen bases on the season, only trailing Flagler by six.
 
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will return to action in the 2016 Captain D's Surf & Turf Classic with game three against Wingate with first pitch set for 11 a.m., at "The Hill".