ORLANDO, Fla. — The fourth-ranked University of North Georgia softball team split its pair of opening day games at the Diamond9 Citrus Classic at ESPN's Wide World of Sports at the Walt Disney World Resort on Friday. UNG opened the tournament with a 9-3 win over Eckerd before dropping a 3-2 nail biter to Spring Hill. The Nighthawks move to 15-5 on the year after the split.
GAME ONE
UNG scored all it would need and then some in the bottom of the second inning, sparked by a
Hannah McSwain RBI double to center.
Sydney Sprague followed with a three-run homer and
Kaylyn Anthony drove in another two runs with a two-bagger to center field.
Eckerd scratched across a pair of runs in the third but the Nighthawks would get them back scoring off an error in the fourth and a
Jessica Finch solo home run in the fifth. The two teams traded RBI singles in the sixth to give the game its final score of 9-3.
Kylee Smith (9-1) picked up the win in the circle for UNG scattering six hits through her six innings of work, walking four while striking out seven.
GAME TWO
Spring Hill got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning as Kali Clement battled in a seven-pitch at-bat ultimately driving a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to give SHC a 2-0 advantage early.
The Nighthawks were eventually able to answer in the fourth as
Shelby Hammontree came through with a two-run triple to left, tying the game at 2-2.
The Badgers took full advantage of a one-out walk in the seventh to steal the win. After Jenna Charnock drew a walk on four straight pitches, SHC executed a sac bunt to move her to second and after an intentional walk, Cassidy Mehr came through with a pinch hit walk off single up the middle to give Spring Hill the 3-2 win.
Amber Johns (2-1) was tagged with her first loss of the season, allowing the three runs on six hits and six walks, while striking out four.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will face the same two teams tomorrow in reverse order, taking on Spring Hill at 11 a.m., before facing Eckerd at 1:15 p.m.
