DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Sophomore lefty Steven Bower had the best start of his career as a Nighthawk on Saturday with a three-hit complete game performance helping the No. 27 University of North Georgia baseball team to a 6-1 win over Florida Tech. UNG advances to 9-3 on the season with the victory.
 
The Panthers plated an unearned run in the top of the first to take an early lead. After a leadoff single John Sternagel picked up two free bases on a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt and would come in to score on an RBI ground out. It would be the only run that Bower would allow though.
 
Devin Gearhart led off the bottom of the first with a double into the gap in left center and was brought home by a Michael Gouge single down the left field line to even the score, 1-1. The next nine frames all went up and down without a hit on either side until the Nighthawks sparked a rally in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff walk by Gearhart. UNG plated runs on RBI singles from Gouge and Trevor Sams, and picked up two more runs on a single down the left field line by Conner Corbitt to take a 5-1 lead.
 
Steven Tomlinson tacked on some extra insurance in the bottom of the eighth blasting a two-out two-strike pitch over the wall in left to give the game its final score of 6-1.
 
NOTES
- Steven Bower (2-1) went the distance for the first time in his North Georgia career allowing just one unearned run, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out seven of the 32 Panther batters that he faced.
 
- Trevor Sams continued his perfect weekend at the plate with a 2-for-2 day adding another two walks. Sams has a 1.000 on base percentage thus far in the Nighthawks Nest Classic.
 
- Today's meeting was the first ever between North Georgia and Florida Tech.
 
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will wrap up the 2017 Nighthawks Nest Classic tomorrow at 3 p.m., against Albany State.