DAHLONEGA – The No. 11 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team swept Miles in a doubleheader with a pair of five-inning wins at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park Tuesday evening.
UNG battled through some defensive miscues in game one to roll to a 12-4 win in five innings.
In game two, the Nighthawks held the Golden Bears scoreless in an 8-0 victory, also in five innings.
UNG now has six mercy-rule victories on the season as it heads into conference play with a 13-4 record on a six-game win streak.
The Nighthawks will now get ready for its first Peach Belt Conference series of the year as it will head to Aiken, S.C. on Saturday, Mar. 1. The three-game series against USC Aiken begins with a doubleheader on Saturday that begins at 12 p.m. The slate concludes with the series finale on Sunday, Mar. 2 at 12 p.m.
Game 1: Nighthawks def. Golden Bears, 12-4 (5 Inn.)
UNG's three runs in the first inning were not enough to completely break away from Miles in Tuesday's first game of a doubleheader.
Despite the big inning that was highlighted by a solo home run from freshman catcher
Carleigh Knowles, her second of the season, two errors from the Nighthawk defense allowed the Golden Bears to tie the game at 3-3 in the third inning.
Knowles notched her second RBI of the game again in the home half of the frame with an RBI single through the left side of the infield to plate freshman second baseman
Jenna Miles.
With another run in the fourth on a single from junior starting pitcher
Chloe Poss, UNG took a 5-3 lead.
Miles would get one more run in the top of the fifth before a major, seven-run inning ended the game in the bottom of the frame for the Nighthawks.
Junior outfielder
Natalie Ray got the rally started with a two-run homer as she recorded her second long ball of the year.
A few pitches later, Knowles launched a solo shot over the wall in left center field for back-to-back home runs and her second of the game. Suddenly it was 8-4 UNG with only one out in the inning.
Then with two on and two out, Poss came up clutch at the plate once more as she tripled with a line-drive rope down the right field. The two-run knock made it 10-4. Poss scored on a wild pitch in the next at bat.
A single and two walks then loaded the bases with two outs. Ray stepped to the plate once more and worked a walk that ended the game with a 12-4 decision in favor of the Nighthawks.
Game two: Nighthawks def. Golden Bears, 8-0 (5 Inn.)
UNG's defense and pitching was sharper in game two as freshman pitcher
Graci West slayed the Golden Bear lineup in the second game.
West did not allow a hit in her five innings of work as she struck out three batters to silence the Miles hitters.
Meanwhile on offense, similar culprits from game one added to the Nighthawk run support in game two.
In the first inning, Knowles tallied an RBI single to bring in junior center fielder
Sydnee Reaves and Ray.
The Nighthawks doubled their lead the next inning thanks to a rocket home run from junior first baseman
Marycille Brumby. The powerful left scorched her first home run of the season with a line-drive shot off the scoreboard in left center field.
At 4-0, UNG was held at bay offensively until an unearned run in the fourth inning made it 5-0.
Then in the fifth inning with one on and one out, senior shortstop
Rylie Moody rounded the bases on an inside-the-park home run. She ripped a liner to left field that was stopped momentarily by the left fielder but ultimately snuck past her. As the ball dribbled to the wall junior left fielder
Kaitlyn Johnson raced home and Moody was not far behind. At third, Moody got the wave around from head coach
Brooke O'Hair and she sped home to beat an errant throw and make it 7-0.
Two batters later, Brumby took a walk and freshman outfielder
Kayla Berry was inserted for Brumby as a pinch runner.
Junior outfielder Kately Johnston then pinch hit for sophomore third baseman
Journey Roberts. "KJ" then zipped a ball into the gap in left center field. Berry raced home as Johnston ended up on third base for her first extra-base hit of the season.
Berry's run made it 8-0 to finish the game in the fifth via the mercy rule.
