COLUMBUS, Ga. – The University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team took its Peach Belt Conference opening series at Columbus State (CSU) on Sunday behind a convincing 10-5 victory.
The Nighthawks (11-6, 2-1 Peach Belt) exploded for seven runs in the second inning to take down the Cougars (8-7, 1-2 Peach Belt) for their fifth win in the last six games.
The series victory marks back-to-back seasons in which UNG has taken the regular-season series against CSU. It's the first time the Nighthawks have done that since at least 2006.
UNG fell behind early on in Sunday's game after a solo home run in the first inning from Luke Miller.
However, the Nighthawks went on a miraculous two-out rally in the next inning to put up seven runs and take a six-run lead.
Sophomore left fielder
Kyle Robitzsch reached first with a one-out single before senior third baseman
Riley Frost walked to put two runners on base. However, a groundout in the next at bat left runners at second and third with two outs.
Senior right fielder
Jorge Arispuro then worked a walk to load the bases. Two runs came across as senior catcher
Bryson Stripling and junior center fielder
Andrews Opata were each hit by a pitch to give the Nighthawks a 2-1 lead.
With the bases still loaded, junior shortstop
Jace Bowen then knocked a single up the middle to plate two runs and extend the lead to 4-1.
UNG was not done as its season-long RBI leader
Phillip Ard pulled a single through the left side of the infield for another two runs.
Redshirt freshman
Nicholas Stinson then continued his team-leading nine-game hitting streak with an RBI single to score Ard and make it 7-1 Nighthawks.
In the third inning, UNG opened the door even wider with even more run scoring. With two runners on base, Opata singled to right center to bring in a run and make it 8-1. The lead was then extended to eight runs behind a sacrifice fly from Bowen to record his third RBI of the day.
Bowen had yet another big day at the plate on Sunday. Going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI, Bowen notched his team-leading 11th multi-hit game of the season. He's also second on the team behind Stinson with an active six-game hitting streak and ranks third amongst Nighthawk hitters with four multi-RBI games on the year.
UNG's 9-1 lead held through the sixth inning until Robitzsch added to the advantage with an RBI single up the middle to score Bowen.
At 10-1 in the seventh inning, the Nighthawks were firmly in control as senior starting pitcher
Dylan Noce had pitched brilliantly to shut down the Cougar offense.
After giving up the lead-off homer in the first, Noce settled down and retired six of the next seven batters. By the seventh inning, he had conceded just four scattered hits as he stood on the bump with a nine-run lead.
CSU eventually plated two runs in the seventh before Noce completed the inning. The right-handed gunslinger from Dacula, Ga. finished the game with seven innings pitched, seven hits, three runs, one walk and three strikeouts.
The Cougars scored two more meaningless runs in the ninth before graduate lefty reliever
Zach Green emphatically ended the game with a swinging strikeout.
With their fifth win in the last six games, the Nighthawks are rolling as the season kicks into full gear. UNG's offense has highlighted the first 17 games with 13 games with six or more runs scored. They've scored double digit runs in five games now and are 5-0 when they do.
Now UNG will prepare for an exciting non-conference series against West Florida (UWF) this week. On Tuesday, Mar. 4, the Nighthawks will face the Argonauts at Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Fla. The stadium houses the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the MLB Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. First pitch on Tuesday is slated for 7 p.m. before the two-game series concludes on Wednesday with a 5 p.m. start back on UWF's campus.
