DAHLONEGA – The No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team used a 4-0 shutout and a 10-1 run-rule victory to complete a doubleheader sweep of Flagler on Friday evening at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium. 

The Nighthawks (35-8, 15-5 PBC) recieved balanced production from up and down the lineup to secure their ninth shutout and 12th mercy-rule on the way to their sixth conference victory of the season. 

Game One: North Georgia 4, Flagler 0 

North Georgia broke open the scoring in the bottom of the second after loading the bases with a walk from Morgan Martin and a pair of singles by Kayla Berry and Chloe Poss. Journey Roberts lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to send Martin home, and Berry took advantage of an errant throw back to the infield and scored another run to give the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead. 

The Nighthawks found some breathing room in the bottom of the fourth, as Martin launched her 12th homer of the season to extend the advantage to three. 

With two outs on the board in the home half of the fifth, North Georgia rallied with a pair of walks from Sydnee Reaves and Jenna Miles. Carleigh Knowles paid off her teammates' plate discipline with a line-drive RBI single to left field to build the lead to 4-0. 

Poss continued to keep the Saints' bats quiet in the closing innings. After a 1-2-3 frame in the sixth, Flagler threatened to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh. North Georgia forced the Saints into a double play, bringing them to their final chance to extend the game. Poss was flawless on her next at bat with a three-pitch strikeout to close the door on the Saints. 

The Thomson, Ga. native added to her impressive senior campaign, picking up her 19th win of the season. Poss went the distance in the circle, only surrendering three hits while adding seven strikeouts to her triple-digit total on the season (109). 
 

Game Two: North Georgia 10, Flagler 1 

After a series-opening win, the Nighthawk bats were warmed up for game two, plating five runs in both the second and fourth innings to lock up the series victory.

The Saints struck first in game two with an RBI single in the top of the first to plate their first run of the afternoon and take their first lead of the series. 

Lila Mullinax retired the side in the top of the second, setting North Georgia up to get to work in the bottom frame. 

The Nighthawks put their foot on the gas from the opening at bat of the bottom of the second and never let go. A leadoff walk from Martin and a double by Berry put a runner in scoring position for Roberts to rope an RBI single to left to tie the game.  

Ava Lunsford kept the RBI-single train moving with one of her own to left field to give the Nighthawks the lead. Roberts made her way home off a wild pitch to give UNG's its first lead of the game. 

The lead kept growing, as Reaves hammered a two-run homer to centerfield to put North Georgia up 5-1. 

Flagler could not find an answer against Mullinax, opening the door for another big inning from the Nighthawks in the fourth. 

After a double from Kaitlyn Johnson, Reaves sent her home with a single to centerfield to cushion the lead at six.  

Miles then stepped up and laid down a bunt, but the throw to first made its way into right field, so Miles wisely kept chugging for third. The Saints got the ball back to the infield, but the throw to third was off target, so Miles took it upon herself to round the bases and score. During the chaos, Reaves had made her way home, and suddenly the Nighthawks found themselves in an 8-1 lead.  

In reach of run-rule territory, the Nighthawks added two more runs with an RBI single from Berry and Martin scored off another wild pitch. 

Mullinax clinched the mercy-rule victory for the Nighthawks in the top of the fifth, retiring the side and taking care of the top two batters in the lineup for Flagler. The freshman pitcher improved to 8-1 on the season, tossing five innings in the circle while recording three strikeouts and only surrendering the lone run in the top of the first. 

Reaves led the high-scoring effort from the Nighthawks in game two, finishing 2-3 with three RBI and her 13th long bomb of the year. Knowles and Berry also contributed multi-hit performances in the win. 

The Saints (10-31, 6-14 PBC) were paced by Emily Ricci, who went 2-3 with one run scored in game two. 

North Georgia can secure the sweep with a win tomorrow afternoon against the Saints. First pitch for the series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m.