DAHLONEGA – The top-ranked University of North Georgia softball split a pair of games on the second day of the UNG Leadoff Classic on Saturday at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park. North Georgia fell to Lenoir-Rhyne 2-1 in 10 innings before downing Lake Erie 6-2.
The Nighthawks (9-2) will wrap up the event tomorrow with a 12:00 p.m. game against UNC Pembroke before facing off with L-R again at 4:00 p.m. to wrap up the three-day classic.
Game #1: Lenoir-Rhyne 2, No.1 North Georgia 1 (10 Innings)
Tybee Denton was mowing people down on Saturday, fanning 15 L-R hitters, but it was not enough as the No. 1 North Georgia Nighthawks fell to the Bears 2-1.In addition to her 15 strikeouts, Denton (3-1) threw 9.1 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits and walking five for North Georgia (8-2). After allowing a hit in the first inning, the senior was near perfect and strung together a stretch of five straight strikeouts.
Senior
Mallory Parker led the way offensively for the Nighthawks, going 2-for-5 in the ballgame. Freshman Taygen Levao-Maisonet put together a standout day at the plate as well, going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Neither team was able to get a base runner to third until the sixth inning when Denton was able to work out of a bases-loaded jam.
The Nighthawks got on the scoreboard first, starting in the tenth inning with a RBI single from Levao-Maisonet, scoring sophomore
Caroline Branch from second base.
L-R plated two runs in the bottom half of the 10
th to grab the walk off win punctuated with a double to right center.
The first two extra innings were played under regular softball rules but in the 10th inning each team started the inning with a runner on second with no outs.
Game #2: No. 1 North Georgia 6, Lake Erie 2
The Nighthawks took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and never trailed from there on the way to a 6-2 victory over the Lake Erie Storm in the second game.
Junior
Aniston Wright (2-0) started in the circle and picked up the win for North Georgia (9-2). The right-hander went five innings, giving up one run on five hits, allowing no walks and striking out three.
At the plate, the Nighthawks were paced by senior
Georgia Blair, who went 1-for-1 on the day with a home run, two walks and an RBI. Junior
Jolie Lester compiled a standout day at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Senior
Mariah Wicker also helped out for North Georgia, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate while adding two RBI.
