DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia baseball team opened Peach Belt Conference play by splitting a Saturday doubleheader with Columbus State on Saturday at Bob Stein Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park.

The two teams were originally scheduled to play three games over the course of three days but inclement weather Friday forced the schedule to shift to a double header Saturday with the series finale set to take place on Sunday. 

Run scoring was abundant for the Nighthawks in game one en route to a 13-7 win, while game two was a much closer and more intense game that saw the Cougars emerge victorious 5-4.

Game 1: Nighthawks def. Cougars, 13-7

UNG jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the third inning of its PBC opener, aided by a few home runs including a grand slam from sophomore infielder Luke Starling.

The Nighthawks got on the board first with a solo bomb from junior outfielder Jorge Arispuro in the second inning. The long ball was Arispuro's third of the season, making him the team leader in home runs on the season.

UNG got another run in the second after a single from sophomore outfielder scored sophomore infielder Brady Skipper.

Sophomore utility player Edwin Bowman IV then led off the third inning with a double. Arispuro and Skipper followed with walks to load the bases. 

Then Starling belted a no-doubt grand slam to break open the game and give the Nighthawks a 6-0 lead. 

Another run was added in the third when Opata roped a triple to right center. He was brought home a batter later thanks to a single from freshman outfielder Noah Darden.

Cougar senior outfielder Win Johns launched a two-run homer in the fourth inning to make it a 7-2 game. It would be Johns' fifth home run of the season and first of the day.

Redshirt first baseman Phillip Ard responded with a two-run blast of his own bottom half of the inning. Elevating the UNG lead to 9-2.

Johns would homer again in the sixth inning, a solo shot for his second of the day, making it a 9-4 game. 

A five run differential is the closest the game would be the rest of the way as the Nighthawk offense continued to run away with the game. 

UNG scored its final four runs of the game in the eighth inning after an eight-batter rally sealed the game. 

A double from junior infielder Riley Frost plated two runs to make it 11-4. 

After Frost's double, a single from Bowman scored Darden and sent Frost over to third base. Frost came home to score on a wild pitch two batters later, making it 13-4 in favor of the Nighthawks.

CSU added three runs in the eighth to finalize the game at 13-7. 

Game 2: Cougars def. Nighthawks, 5-4

Game two was much different from its opening counterpart as it was the Cougars who got on the board first and it didn't take long.

On the first pitch of the game, junior infielder Cody Ferguson mashed a solo home run to start the scoring. 

Three of the next five CSU batters singled which eventually plated junior infielder Anderw Rubin to make it 2-0 after the top of the first.

In the bottom half, UNG didn't back down, answering the bell with three runs of its own. 

Opata led off with a single. After a ground out, Frost walked. Then Bowman singled to right field bringing Opata across the plate. A throwing error from CSU senior right fielder Derek Wylie allowed Frost to score and moved Bowman up to second base. 

The error would prove costly as Bowman scored to take the lead two batters later when Ard singled to left. 

The game would remain 3-2 until a double steal from the Cougars tied the game in the fourth inning. 

The Nighthawks reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth, again off the bat of Ard. His double to right center scored freshman catcher Kyle Robitzsch. 

Ard had a big day for UNG, totaling four RBIs as he went 4-for-8 with a pair of extra base hits in the form of a home run and double. 

CSU tied the game with two outs in the eighth inning after Ferguson plated his second RBI of the game. He singled up the middle to score sophomore infielder Jackson Chezik from second. 

The top of the ninth inning perfectly symbolized the roller coaster nature that a baseball game can take. 

Tied at 4-4, senior right-handed pitcher Jacob Lassiat was on the bump for the Nighthawks. After recording a lead off ground out, Lassiat surrendered a walk to senior outfielder Colby Brabston, bringing Johns to the plate. In an 0-1 count, as Lassiat delivered the pitch, Brabston bolted for second base. Robitzsch fired a strike on the bag and Frost applied a smooth tag to get the out. The home crowd exploded as UNG had successfully removed the go-ahead run from the base paths. 

However, on the very next pitch, Johns belted his third home run of the day. As the ball sailed over the center field wall, the Cougars took a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Nighthawks were unable to muster a comeback. A trio of ground outs retired UNG in order, locking in a split in the double header. 

The exchanged wins Saturday set up an exciting decisive game three tomorrow, Sunday, Mar. 3 between the Nighthawks and Cougars. First pitch from Bob Stein Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park is set for 1 p.m.