DAHLONEGA — Chase Sudduth came up big in the bottom of the 11th of game two for the University of North Georgia baseball team to upset the No. 21 UNC Pembroke in a doubleheader sweep to win the three-game Peach Belt Conference series, winning 7-4 in game one and 5-4 in game two Saturday afternoon at Bob Stein Stadium.
 
GAME ONE
After a tough loss in game one of the series against UNCP last night, North Georgia attacked early in the first frame of game two. Josh Profit led off with a single up the middle for the Nighthawks, followed by a double to the right center gap from Chase Sudduth. With runners on second and third, Andres Perez nailed a three-run bomb over left, his 16th of the year, to claim the lead for UNG, 3-0.
 
The Braves didn't respond until the sixth, and they didn't do it lightly. Kevon Perkins led off the inning and reached first on an error by the UNG defense, and Roberto Rivera singled off Kyle Luigs' foot to put another base runner on for UNCP. A sacrifice bunt from Trevor Clemons instigated a throwing error, allowing the Braves to push their first run across and cut the lead to 3-1. Two more RBI singles from Connor Grainger and Luke Jackson lifted UNCP ahead of North Georgia, 4-3.
 
UNG fought back in the frame with back-to-back doubles from Bill LeRoy and Jake Arnold to tie the contest at 4-4. The Nighthawks reclaimed the lead in the seventh with a Perez single up the middle to score Profit and make the score 5-4.
 
UNCP was unable to produce anymore runs to contend for the win. The UNG offense remained hot to lace together more singles in the eighth. A RBI hit-by-pitch issued to William Mapes followed by a RBI single to left from Profit secured the 7-4 win over the Braves.
 
GAME TWO
Going into the deciding cap of the split series, UNC Pembroke made a statement at the plate in the top of the first frame. Roberto Rivera started things off with a leadoff double to left center, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Clemons. That brought up Trey Jacobs whose RBI double to left scored Rivera to claim the lead, 1-0. Two more RBI singles extended the UNCP lead to 3-0.
 
The Nighthawk bats were cold until the third frame when Mapes knocked a two-out single to left and then advanced to second on a balk from Jordan Toney. A hard hit single to short from Profit caused chaos in the infield to force a throwing error and score Mapes to cut the lead, 3-1. Another error on the UNCP defense forced by Sudduth allowed UNG to capitalize and score Profit, 3-2.
 
The Braves continued to hammer away at the plate and extend their lead, 4-2, in the fifth, but the Nighthawks were able to push another run across to narrow the gap by one run due to a leadoff single from Nick Clarno, followed by a RBI double down left field line from Profit. A clutch RBI double to right center from Tomlinson to score LeRoy, who reached on a two-out single, tied it up for North Georgia, 4-4, forcing the contest to head into extra innings.
 
The Nighthawks won it in the bottom of the eleventh. Arnold led off with a hit by pitch to board the tying run for UNG. A textbook sacrifice bunt from Nick Clarno advanced Arnold to second, followed by Profit putting the ball in play to reach on error and advance Arnold to third. With runners on the corners for Sudduth, and the tying run at third, Sudduth blazed a single up the middle to walk it off, 5-4.
 
NOTES
- Logan Burt (3-1) earned the win in game one of the twinbill, while Aaron Biggerstaff (3-1) was pegged with the loss. Parker Morrison was awarded the save, his ninth of the year. Jack Fleming got the win in game two, throwing seven innings of two hit baseball, his longest outing of his collegiate career.
 
- In game one, Perez went 2-for-4 with a single, a homer and four RBI. Sudduth went 3-for-5 with two singles and a double. Profit went 2-for-3 with two singles, a RBI and two runs scored. In game two, Profit went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, one RBI and one run scored.
 
- With this twinbill win, the Nighthawks improve to 22-15 overall and 14-9 in the Peach Belt Conference.
 
NEXT UP
North Georgia will jump out of conference play for a two-game series against West Florida, starting Tuesday night at Bob Stein Stadium. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. on Make-A-Wish Day.