ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - With a ninth-inning bomb to left field, University of North Georgia baseball player Andres Perez broke the single season homer record, but the Nighthawks' rally fell short as they fell to No. 17 UNC Pembroke, 6-4, Friday in the Peach Belt Conference tournament.

The Braves struck first in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by Trey Jacobs. Jacobs gave UNCP a 3-0 lead in the third on a two-run bomb to right center before UNG got on the board.

Perez hit a sacrifice fly to plate Chase Sudduth and cut into the Brave lead, but UNCP answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-1 lead. The Nighthawks cut into the lead again in the sixth as William Mapes came home on a Sudduth single up the middle to make the score, 5-2.

Another Jacobs RBI in the seventh on a double to right center stretched the lead to four before the ninth inning rally began. Perez's homer cut the lead in half and the Nighthawks brought the tying run to the plate, but the Braves got out of the inning to hold on for the win.

NOTES
- Perez broke the record set by Rob Flanigan back in 2008. The sophomore from Duluth, Georgia, now has 21 homers on the year.

- Anthony Burke (9-2) earned the win for UNCP after throwing a complete game, while Cade Heil (6-8) was tabbed with the loss. The North Georgia bullpen combined for 4.1 innings of three-hit baseball, surrendering just one run.

- In the other Pool A game, top-seeded Georgia College knocked off eighth-seeded Lander, 9-6.

NEXT UP
North Georgia will continue Pool A play tomorrow with two games, starting with a 10 a.m. matchup against Lander before a 5 p.m. game versus Georgia College.