DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia baseball team won the series opener with Augusta 4-2 on Friday in what served as the Nighthawks' sixth consecutive home game at Bob Stein Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park.
Both teams entered the game in a three-way tie with Lander for second place in the Peach Belt Conference. With the win, the Nighthawks removed Augusta from the tie and remained even with the Bearcats for second place at 23-11 overall with an 11-4 conference record.
Three runs in the first inning propelled UNG to the early advantage as the defense held on for the win down the stretch.
Sophomore center fielder Andrews Opata reached base to lead off the opening inning after being hit by a pitch from Jaguars starter Mason Bernard.
Bernard, a graduate right hander from Lilburn, Ga., has struggled to avoid plunking hitters this season. After tagging three UNG hitters in Friday's game, Bernard is now tied for the most hit batters by a Peach Belt Conference pitcher this season with 14.
After Opata reached, freshman left fielder Noah Darden barreled a double off the left field wall.
Friday was Darden's first game back in the lineup since Mar. 17 after not playing for 10 games by the decision of head coach Tom Cantrell.
It took only one pitch for Darden to record his 10th extra base hit of the season, putting runners at second and third with no outs.
Junior shortstop Riley Frost then brought Opata home with a sacrifice fly. Frost now leads the Nighthawks with 34 RBIs this season.
Frost's fly out was followed by a base hit up the middle from redshirt sophomore Phillip Ard to score Darden.
Ard, the reigning PBC Player of the Week, continued his hot hitting Friday going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
He came around to score later in the first on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 UNG after one inning.
The Nighthawks added another run in the fourth inning when Darden brought home junior catcher Bryson Stripling with an RBI.
Augusta struggled to add runs to the board, not scoring until the seventh inning. The credit belongs to the UNG defense standing behind junior starter Dylan Noce.
Noce picked up his fifth win of the year after a number of highlight plays from the infield, including a pair of inning-ending double plays to keep the Jaguars at bay.
While holding a 3-0 lead in the third, redshirt junior left fielder Dylan Wanat ripped a one out double down the right field line.
That brought sophomore shortstop Kyle Lodise to the dish. Lodise currently leads Augusta with 11 home runs on the season.
With a chance to add a run on the board, Lodise lasered a line drive right at UNG freshman third baseman Kyle Robitzsch.
Robitzsch caught the ball, turned and fired a bullet to second base where Wanat was off the bag. Wanat was called out to end the threat and the frame.
One inning later, the Jaguars had the first two hitters of the fourth on base after a single from junior right fielder Brady Loughren followed a lead off walk.
Noce was able to get a fly out in the next at bat. Then, he got Augusta graduate catcher Kyle LaRoche to bounce into a six-four-three double play that again ended the inning after the Jaguars were in prime position to score.
Those plays proved big as Augusta failed to advance a runner past first base until LaRoche finally scored in the seventh.
Still, the Jaguars had a shot to tie or take the lead in the ninth.
As senior right handed reliever Jacob Lassiat stepped on the mound, UNG held a 4-1 advantage.
Lassiat started the inning with a strikeout but followed it up with a four-pitch walk to former Nighthawk Parker Ingram.
LaRoche then flew out and Augusta faced its last out.
However, the next two batters singled, scoring Ingram to make it 4-2. It also brought senior second baseman Kolby Ayala to the plate with two on and two out.
Ayala was Augusta's best hitter a season ago and entered Friday hitting .325 this year. An extra base hit would likely have tied the game. However, the infield fittingly made the final play as Ayala grounded out to short. Lassiat avoided the scare and secured his team-best third save of the season.
The Nighthawks face Augusta again tomorrow, Saturday, Apr. 6 for a 3 p.m. start from Bob Stein Stadium in the series' second game of three.
