DAHLONEGA - The No. 29 University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team completed a series sweep of No. 21 Mississippi College with a 10-0 run-rule victory Sunday afternoon at Bob Stein Stadium.
Mississippi College threatened in the top of the first, loading the bases with two outs, but Andrew Duval escaped the inning unscathed by striking out the final batter.
The Nighthawks answered in the bottom half, loading the bases without recording a hit. JD Coleman drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Ben Hamacher for the game's first run.
Duval retired the side in the second, and North Georgia added to its lead in the bottom of the inning. Jake Prince and Hamacher were both hit by pitches, and Brady Skipper walked to load the bases with one out. Prince scored on a passed ball, Cam Hodge was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, and Hunter Thompson drove in a run with an RBI groundout to make it 3-0.
Duval again retired the Choctaws in order in the third. Coleman recorded UNG's first hit of the game with a double, but the Nighthawks were unable to add on in the frame.
Mississippi College put runners on second and third in the fourth, but Duval worked out of the jam to keep the Choctaws off the scoreboard.
Skipper homered in the bottom of the fourth, followed by a single and a walk to set up another scoring opportunity. Schley Gordy reached on an error, allowing Hodge to score, and Brody Yeomans followed with a two-run RBI single to push the Nighthawks' lead to 7-0.
Duval retired the side in order in the fifth before Thompson delivered a two-run RBI single in the bottom half, extending the advantage to nine.
Duval stranded two runners in the sixth, and Jake Streeter capped the scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to make it 10-0.
Robert Hunt relieved Duval in the seventh and kept Mississippi College scoreless to secure the mercy-rule victory.
Duval earned the win, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing two hits and striking out four. Hunt allowed one hit and struck out one in one inning of relief.
North Georgia (6-1) finished with eight hits, led by Skipper and Prince with two apiece.
The Nighthawks return to action Feb. 10 at No. 16 Young Harris, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
