DAHLONEGA – Kickstarted by a pair of record-breaking performances from Steven Bower and Andres Perez, the No. 20 University of North Georgia baseball team completed the three-game Peach Belt Conference series sweep over Claflin with a pair of wins at Bob Stein Stadium at Cottrell Park. UNG won the opener 11-1 in eight innings before taking the nightcap 15-3 in seven innings. 

GAME 1
UNG scored twice in the bottom of the first inning on the first of three home runs off the bat of Andres Perez. 

On the mound, Bower set a new UNG single game strikeout record as he sat down 18 of the 27 Panther batters he faced.  Offensively, Perez led the way with a 3-for-4 day with all three hits going out of the park with eight RBI. The three homers ties a UNG and PBC record for homers in a league game. Additionally, his eight RBI is second all-time for UNG in a single game.

William Mapes also penciled three hits in the scoresheet to stretch his 2020 hitting streak to six games.

GAME 2
In the second game of the day, Claflin jumped out to a 3-1 with a three-spot in the top of the third inning only to see North Georgia take the lead for good with five runs in the bottom of the frame. 

Tim Conway, Mapes, Will Hardigree and Perez combined for eight of the Nighthawks' 12 hits with each recording a pair.  

Maddex Richardson earned his first win of the season in a North Georgia uniform with three innings of one-hit relief work, striking out five.

NOTES
- The victories mark the third time in the last four seasons that the Nighthawks (6-0, 3-0 PBC) have opened a campaign with six straight wins.

- The Nighthawk pitching staff is averaging 11.7 strikeouts per game. 

- Mapes, Hardigree and Perez have recorded multiple-hit games in four of the Nighthawks' first six games.

NEXT UP
UNG returns to the diamond with their first road trip of the season when they head to Aiken, S.C. to open a three-game set with USC Aiken on Friday, February 14. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Roberto Hernandez Stadium.