CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Timely hitting and a fifth-inning explosion in the nightcap lifted the No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Lee on Tuesday.
Game 1: North Georgia 5, Lee 3 (8 Inn.)
North Georgia drew first blood in the second inning when Ava Lunsford stole second, setting up Kayla Berry to score on a throwing error by the Flames. Lee answered immediately with a solo homer to tie the game at 1-1.
Journey Roberts put the Nighthawks back on top in the fifth with a solo home run to right-center, giving UNG a 2-1 lead. Marycille Brumby added an RBI double in the seventh, scoring Sydnee Reaves and stretching the lead to 3-1.
Lee rallied in the bottom of the seventh, drawing a bases-loaded walk, followed with an RBI single, to knot the game at 3-3.
The Nighthawks answered in the top of the eighth. Berry singled to center, allowing Morgan Martin to score, and Carleigh Knowles doubled to left, driving in Berry for the go-ahead run.
Brumby finished 3-for-4, while Berry added two hits. Chloe Poss pitched the full eight innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 5-1 on the season.
Game 2: North Georgia 13, Lee 2 (5 Inn.)
North Georgia wasted no time in the nightcap, scoring in each of the first four innings before erupting for eight runs in the fifth to end the game early.
Martin opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first, followed by Berry's RBI single. Sydnee Reaves added an RBI double in the second, and Berry plated another run with a groundout in the third.
The decisive fifth inning featured back-to-back homers from Knowles and Brumby, with Brumby's blast clearing the bases for a four-RBI swing. Martin also homered in the frame.
Brumby went 2-for-4 with four RBI, while Martin and Berry each finished 2-for-3 with two RBI apiece.
Lila Mullinax picked up the win, tossing four innings and allowing two runs on four hits. Caroline Conner closed the game with a scoreless fifth.
North Georgia returns to action Feb. 21-22 as the Nighthawks head to the Nan Whitley Invitational hosted by Catawba.
