DAHLONEGA – The longest active winning streak in NCAA Division II ends at 38 as the No. 1 University of North Georgia softball team fell in its Peach Belt Conference doubleheader against Columbus State at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park. The Nighthawks came one-run short in the first game falling 4-3, before losing in a high-scoring 19-10 finish in the second game.
Columbus State 4, North Georgia 3
UNG found themselves in a battle in the late innings as the Cougars drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. North Georgia couldn't answer in the bottom half of the inning, dropping their first game since Feb. 4.
Hannah Forehand's two hits and one walk in four trips to the plate highlighted the first game of the day for the Nighthawks.
Sydney Blair drew a walk in each trip to the plate, finishing with three, scoring once.
Kristen Davis held firm in the first four innings, finishing with five innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits. Davis ran into trouble in the fifth after three walks allowed CSU to put across their first run of the game.
Two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh for Columbus State put them ahead and gave them the win in the opening game.
Columbus State 19, North Georgia 10
The Nighthawks got rolling quickly, looking to even the series, but CSU answered with an elite performance at the plate, highlighted by big innings in the fifth and seventh innings to hand UNG their first series loss this season.
The 6-7-8 spots in the order were the main offensive contributors for North Georgia, with
Mariah Wicker putting up six RBIs in the game, attempting to will the Nighthawks back. Wicker took advantage of
Olivia Sinquefield's three hits and
Sydney Blair's two hits in front of her to rack up her RBI totals.
Columbus State was led by Hannah Rose Corbin in the game as Corbin matched Wicker's RBI total by way of two home runs. The Nighthawks move to 39-3 and 18-2 in Peach Belt Conference play.
Next Up
North Georgia will look to avenge Sunday's results in the final game of the three-game series on Monday (Apr. 9), with first pitch set to begin at noon.
