CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -
Sydnee Reaves powered the No. 5 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team to a doubleheader sweep Tuesday at Frost Stadium, driving in eight runs across two games as the Nighthawks defeated UAH 9-5 in the opener before closing the day with a 9-0, six-inning run-rule victory.
Reaves went 5-for-8 on the day with a home run, two doubles and eight RBI to pace the North Georgia offense as the Nighthawks improved their record with a pair of strong offensive performances.
Game 1: No. 5 North Georgia 9, UAH 5
After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, North Georgia answered with a decisive five-run second inning to take control of the opener.
Reaves delivered the biggest swing of the frame, launching a grand slam to put the Nighthawks in front.
Journey Roberts,
Kaitlyn Johnson and
Ava Lunsford all scored on the blast as North Georgia erased the early deficit in one swing. Later in the inning,
Carleigh Knowles added an RBI double to extend the lead to 5-3.
North Georgia added two more runs in the sixth inning on RBI groundouts from Johnson and Roberts, pushing the advantage to 7-3. UAH trimmed the deficit with two runs in the bottom half, but the Nighthawks sealed the win in the seventh when
Morgan Martin lined a two-run single to right center.
Reaves finished 2-for-4 with four RBI in the opener, while Martin added two RBI.
Chloe Poss earned the win to improve to 11-2, allowing five runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings.
Caroline Conner closed the game with 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out three.
Game 2: No. 5 North Georgia 9, UAH 0 (6 innings)
The Nighthawks carried the momentum into the second game and never looked back.
Reaves again delivered early offense, ripping a three-run double to left center in the second inning to score Roberts, Johnson and
Kayla Berry for a 3-0 lead.
North Georgia added three more runs in the fourth.
Marycille Brumby drove in Reaves with an RBI single, Martin followed with an RBI single of her own and Brumby later scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to 6-0.
Reaves struck again in the fifth, doubling to center field to score Lunsford. The Nighthawks finished the scoring in the sixth on a wild pitch that brought home Knowles and an RBI single from Martin to trigger the run rule.
Reaves went 3-for-4 with four RBI in the nightcap, while Martin finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Lila Mullinax improved to 5-1 with 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out four.
Graci West followed with 2.1 innings of one-hit relief to complete the shutout.
North Georgia returns to action March 13-14 when the Nighthawks open Peach Belt Conference play with a three-game series against USC Aiken at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium.
