DAHLONEGA – Despite a late comeback effort, the No. 10 University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team dropped its midweek contest to Lee 8-6 on Tuesday night at Bob Stein Stadium. 

After a four-pitch inning to retire the side in the top of the first from Evan Carter, the Nighthawks got on the board in the bottom frame. With the bases loaded, a pair of sacrifice flies from Kyle Robitzsch and Caleb Farr gave North Georgia an early 2-0 advantage. 

The Flames had an answer in the top of the second with an RBI single to left field to plate their first run and cut the North Georgia lead in half. 

The Nighthawks were able to defend their 2-1 lead until the top of the fifth, as Lee managed to tie the game on another RBI single to left. 

Lee carried that momentum into the sixth for a breakthrough inning. A leadoff home run from the Flames gave them their first lead of the game, and they kept their foot on the gas with a run-scoring single to move out in front by two. 

An RBI single, double and groundout tacked on three more runs, as the Flames left the top of the sixth with a five-run cushion. 

North Georgia stole a run back in the home half of the inning with heads-up base running by Jake Streeter, and the Nighthawks received a much-needed shot in the arm with a two-run homer from Brady Skipper in the seventh to pull within two. 

After another Flames home run pushed its advantage to three, the Nighthawks were able to again make it a two-run ballgame with an RBI double from Ben Hamacher in the bottom of the eighth. Lee held onto its 8-6 lead and closed out the Nighthawks in the ninth. 

Streeter and Hunter Thompson led North Georgia on offense with a pair of multi-hit performances, as they combined for four of the Nighthawks' nine base knocks. 

Rhaylin Carvajal was credited with his first loss of the season, surrendering four hits and four runs for the Flames. 

Luke Collier and Braden Gabel paced the Flames (21-13, 12-9 GSC) with three hits each. 

North Georgia (28-9, 19-2 PBC) will have a quick turnaround to prepare for its PBC series against Georgia Southwestern. First pitch for game one is scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 2 at 6 p.m.