ROME, Ga. – The No. 2 University of North Georgia softball team collected a pair of non-conference wins over Shorter in an afternoon doubleheader on Tuesday. After being removed from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) No. 1 spot for the first time in eight weeks, the Nighthawks leaned on their aces in senior pitchers Kristen Davis and Tybee Denton for the victories.
The two hurlers combined to allow three runs on just three total hits in both games. With Davis collecting her 15th victory of the year and Denton racking up her 18th win, the two now each rank in the top-10 nationally in wins this season with Denton leading the entire nation.
Despite four straight road games, UNG will have to wait a little longer before returning to Dahlonega as the team is scheduled for three Peach Belt Conference road games against Columbus State this weekend, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 6 at 1 p.m.
Game 1: Nighthawks def. Hawks, 5-1
After conceding the first of her two hits allowed with two outs in the first inning, Davis cruised through the rest of the game in the opener against the Hawks. She retired the next 14 consecutive batters before the Hawks finally got a run in the sixth inning.
By that time, the Nighthawks had taken a 5-0 lead thanks in large part to the efforts from senior outfielder Mallory Parker.
After senior infielder Sophie Mooney got the scoring started in the third inning with an RBI single, Parker was responsible for the next 4 UNG RBIs, giving head coach Mike Davenport's team the five run lead.
After Mooney's RBI single, the Nighthawks followed with three more singles in a row, culminating in a two run knock from Parker to score Mooney and senior catcher Georgia Blair.
Then in the fifth, Blair racked up her 17th extra base hit of the season with a double to left field. Parker followed two batters later and rocketed her fourth home run of the season down the left field line.
Shorter's lone run in the sixth did no damage as senior pitcher Delaney Heaberlin entered to close things out with a one-two-three seventh inning, sealing the 5-1 win.
Game 2: Nighthawks def. Hawks, 9-0 (5 Inn.)
In game two, with Denton on the mound, UNG's consistent offensive onslaught led to the early victory to end the day.
Neither team scored in the first inning but the Nighthawks would add two or more runs in every inning after that en route to the nine run win.
In consecutive at bats in the second inning, Denton allowed a base hit and a walk. She would allow just one base runner in the next nine batters faced. That one base runner came on a dropped third strike in the third inning.
As Denton was mowing down Hawks hitters, the offense came to life in the meantime.
In the second, aggressive base running from sophomore outfielder Sydney Blair led to the game's first run. After a bunt single, Blair stole second before being brought home by sophomore first baseman Marycille Brumby on a base hit.
Brumby came around herself in the next at bat thanks to a double from senior infielder Gracie Mixson.
In the third, two swings were all that were necessary to make it a 4-0 UNG lead. After a lead off single from sophomore infielder Katie Ward, Georgia Blair belted her team-leading seventh blast of the season to straight away center field.
It was senior outfielder Madison Simmons' turn to get in on the home run fun in the fifth with her first long ball of the season, a solo shot to make it 5-0.
Later in the inning, Brumby did more damage with the bat in her hand as she ripped a single back up the middle to score a pair of runs.
In just her tenth start of the season, Brumby went 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBIs on Tuesday.
UNG added its final runs of the game in the fifth inning as Simmons poked her second extra base hit of the day into left center with a double, scoring junior infielder Rylie Moody. Simmons was then brought home on an RBI ground out from freshman outfielder Kaitlyn Johnson.
