Milledgeville, Ga. – The No. 4 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team never trailed in a pair of victories to secure its first Peach Belt Conference series win of the season against Georgia College on Saturday afternoon.
Game 1: North Georgia 5, Georgia College 1
After the two teams combined for just one hit through the first three innings, the Nighthawks broke open a scoreless game with an RBI single from Ava Lunsford in the top of the fourth.
Kaitlyn Johnson kept the momentum going, delivering a single up the middle to score Lunsford and Kayla Berry to extend the lead to three. Journey Roberts then stepped up for the third-consecutive scoring hit with an RBI double to bring Johnson home and leave the inning with a 4-0 advantage.
The Bobcats threatened to get back into the ballgame, loading the bases in the bottom of the fourth. Caroline Conner stepped into the circle for the Nighthawks and weathered the storm, forcing a fly out and ending the inning on a strikeout to strand all three Bobcat base runners.
Morgan Martin added an insurance run in the top of the fifth with a base knock to left field, scoring Carleigh Knowles and putting UNG up five.
The Bobcats plated their first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the seventh, but the Nighthawks closed out the game on a double play to even up the series.
Johnson led the charge for the Nighthawks with a pair of hits and RBI.
Conner locked up her fourth win of the season, pitching 2.2 innings while only surrendering three hits and one run.
Game 2: North Georgia 7, Georgia College 1
It did not take long for North Georgia to warm up the bats in the series finale, as a sacrifice fly from Lunsford and an RBI single from Roberts gave UNG a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
Georgia College also found a rhythm earlier than the first game of the day, plating its first run in the bottom of the fourth off an RBI single to cut North Georgia's lead in half.
The Nighthawks answered in the top of the fifth with a two-run inning, highlighted by impressive base running from Jenna Miles, who scored from first off a double from Knowles to kick off the fifth.
With Knowles now in scoring position, Martin stepped up and delivered an RBI single to bring her home, pushing UNG's lead to three.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Nighthawks worked through just four Bobcats batters, converting on their second double play of the day to keep Georgia College off the board in the home-half of the inning.
Knowles and Marycille Brumby cushioned North Georgia's lead in the next frame, bringing home a pair of runs to extend the advantage to five.
After a sacrifice fly from Roberts tacked on one more run, the Nighthawks closed the door on the Bobcats with a three up, three down in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the series win.
Knowles led North Georgia with a 3-4 performance at the plate and two RBI.
Chloe Poss secured her 10th win of the season in the circle, tossing 4.1 innings while only giving up one run on five hits.
The Nighthawks will be back in action for a midweek doubleheader against Alabama Huntsville on Tuesday, Mar. 10. First pitch for game one is set for 2 p.m. in Chattanooga, Tenn.
