DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team dominated Lander in a 7-3 victory to claim a series win in game two of the weekend set at Bob Stein Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park on Saturday.
The Nighthawks (20-8, 10-1 Peach Belt) have now won five straight games with the win over the Bearcats (20-9, 8-3 Peach Belt). With a 10-1 record in league games, UNG is off to the best start in conference play in program history since joining the PBC in 2005. The Nighthawks currently hold a half-game lead over Georgia College who they swept in a non-conference series back in February.
Saturday's win came on the back of UNG sophomore starting pitcher
Luke Earnhardt.
Despite giving up two runs in the second inning, the lefty gunslinger threw 7.2 complete innings against Lander in the win. He conceded seven scattered hits and one walk in his final inning while striking out six Bearcat batters. With the win, Earnhardt is now 6-0 on the season and the only unbeaten pitcher in the conference with six or more victories. He's one of only 10 pitchers nationally to remain undefeated with six-plus victories this season.
Earnhardt's victory was thanks in part to the Nighthawk offense that rallied from a 2-0 deficit early in the game.
After Lander got on the board in the second inning, UNG answered with three runs in the fourth inning as sophomore outfielder
Kyle Robitzsch brought in a run on a groundout and redshirt freshman
Nicholas Stinson gave the Nighthawks the lead with a two-run single.
Stinson displayed his clutch-hitting ability with another two-out, two-run double in the fifth inning to pad UNG's lead at 5-2. The two-time PBC Freshman of the Week led the Nighthawks on Saturday with a 2-for-4 performance with four RBI in total.
Senior right fielder
Jorge Arispuro added an insurance run in the next at bat with an RBI single through the left side of the infield to make it 6-2 Nighthawks after five innings.
With runners on the corners and one out, freshman shortstop
Jake Prince grounded into a fielder's choice to add UNG's final run of the game.
Earnhardt continued to mow down the Bearcats as he worked his fourth one-two-three inning of the game in the top of the seventh. He was finally pulled in the eighth inning after recording the first two outs on a double play. Senior reliever
Daniel Courtney entered the game and pitched 1.1 innings while recording two strikeouts to seal the victory.
The Nighthawks will go look to sweep Lander for the first time since 2007 on Sunday at Bob Stein Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
