DAHLONEGA – A pitcher's duel with a spot in the NCAA Division II Championships on the line went the way of the No. 2 University of North Georgia softball team as they defeated No. 17 Wingate (48-17) 1-0 behind a dominant performance inside the circle for
Kristen Davis (W, 18-1) at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park.
Davis threw all seven innings, recording seven strikeouts and allowing two hits, leading the Nighthawks with a complete game shutout. In the other dugout, Raechel Cutcher (WU) had a bounce-back performance in the second game of the Southeast Super Regional, allowing no earned runs and two hits in seven innings.
The complete game shutout for Davis was the ninth complete game of the season for the Calhoun, Ga. native and the fourth shutout, picking up her 18th win of the season.
At the plate, the UNG lineup was stifled for much of the day, with the highlight coming from
Georgia Blair, who recorded both of North Georgia's hits, reaching base in each plate appearance. After
Mariah Wicker reached base on an error,
Georgia Blair roped a left-field single to advance Wicker to third with no outs in the third inning.
Following up her walk-off winner in the first game,
Gracie Mixson came through once again, plating the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to right center field, scoring Wicker for the game's lone run.
Next Up
The Nighthawks (59-6) will make their third consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division II Championships, heading to Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tenn., as one of the remaining eight teams vying for a national title. The NCAA DII National Championships are set for May 25-31. Seeds and game times for the championship will be announced early next week.
