DAHLONEGA – A trio of home runs led to an upset of the No. 2 University of North Georgia softball team in its Peach Belt Conference Tournament opening game against seventh-seeded USC Aiken at Haines and Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park.
The Pacers tallied three runs in the top of the first, using a pair of homers to take a 3-0 lead. USCA added two more in the fourth courtesy of a two-run shot to make it a 5-0 game. The Nighthawks attempted to mount a comeback, plating three runs in the bottom of the fifth but could not overcome the early deficit.
Sophie Mooney continued to heat up in the circle and at the plate, pitching six and two-thirds innings in relief, allowing two runs on the homerun by USCA in the fourth. Mooney attempted to dig UNG out of a hole, doubling to right-center in the fourth inning, driving in two runs to get North Georgia in the scoring column.
Madi Perry led the team in hits with three, scoring once on the Mooney double.
Jolie Lester,
Hannah Forehand and
Georgia Blair rounded out the Nighthawks that recorded hits, with Lester earning two hits and Forehand driving in one run in the fifth inning on a double.
Next Up
UNG will look to keep their PBC tournament hopes alive on Saturday (Apr. 28) with an elimination matchup against sixth-seeded Georgia College at 3:00 p.m. The winner of that game will play again on Saturday at 6:00 p.m., with the winner of the evening game advancing to the finals of the four-team double-elimination pod.
