DAHLONEGA – For the second-straight season, the No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team can call itself champions of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). After a 12-5 win over Columbus State at Bob Stein Stadium on Friday night, the Nighthawks have clinched a share of the 2026 PBC Regular Season Championship.
The last time Columbus State (23-14, 15-7 PBC) was in Dahlonega, the Cougars stunned North Georgia, plating 12 runs in the ninth inning to end the Nighthawks' run in the 2025 PBC Tournament. Tonight, the Nighthawks got their revenge.
The series opener started as a back-and-forth battle between the top two teams in the PBC, as the lead changed three times through the first three innings.
Columbus State was in prime position to take the first lead of the series in the top of the first after a leadoff single from Jax Yoxtheimer gave the Cougars some early momentum.
Yoxtheimer, who ranks third in Division II baseball with 32 stolen bases on the year, made a break for second base after the single. Kyle Robitzsch read the situation perfectly and made the throw down to second to get the out and send Yoxtheimer back to the dugout.
North Georgia broke open the scoring in the bottom of the second, stringing together four-straight hits from Robitzsch, Cam Hodge, Jake Streeter and Caleb Farr to plate a pair of runs. JD Coleman tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to give the Nighthawks a 3-0 advantage.
The Cougars had a big answer for North Georgia with a five-run inning in the following frame. After a pair of home runs from Cole Eison and Bryce Knox and an RBI triple from Yoxtheimer, the Cougars quickly found themselves up 5-3 after the top of the third.
The Nighthawks had a counterattack for Columbus State in the home half of the third with another three-run inning. A single from Brady Skipper set the stage for back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles by Brody Yeomans, Robitzsch and Hodge to put the Nighthawks in front for good.
Matthew Heard worked through just eight batters in the next two innings before Yeomans came around to score on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fifth to cushion UNG's lead at two.
Yeomans continued his solid offensive day in the bottom of the sixth with a two RBI single to centerfield, building North Georgia's advantage to four runs.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hunter Thompson and the Nighthawks drew a trio of walks to force a pitching change from Columbus State and set a bases-loaded stage up for Ben Hamacher.
Hamacher, who is second in the country with 74 hits this season, had not recorded a hit in his first four at bats of the game. In a big spot, Hamacher came through as he roped a single to right field to score Coleman and Streeter and break the game open for the Nighthawks.
North Georgia tacked on one more insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with Robitzsch's fourth hit of the night to put the Nighthawks up by seven. Dylan Holbrook closed the door on the Cougars in the top of the ninth with a pair of strikeouts, officially securing a share of the regular season title for North Georgia.
Robitzsch, who suffered a season-ending injury in the final game of the 2025 regular season, was unable to play in North Georgia's loss to the Cougars in last year's conference tournament. Tonight, the junior catcher turned in one of the best games of his career, finishing 4-5 at the plate with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
Heard worked eight innings on the mound while recording seven strikeouts and surrendering five hits on the way to the seventh win of his senior season.
The Nighthawks (33-10, 23-2 PBC) have the opportunity to clinch the 2026 PBC Regular Season Championship outright tomorrow afternoon on Senior Day. First pitch for game two is scheduled for 2 p.m.
