DAHLONEGA – After dropping the series opener 3-1, the No. 3 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team responded with an offensive surge to claim an 11-5 victory and earn a doubleheader split against USC Beaufort (USCB) on Friday afternoon. 

Game One: USC Beaufort 3, North Georgia 1 
 
Friday's opener was nothing short of a pitcher's duel between Chloe Poss and Madison Murphy, as both teams were held scoreless and registered one hit through the first six innings. 

After a string of 1-2-3 frames on both sides, the Sand Sharks broke through in the top of the seventh with an RBI single to take the lead. USCB added to its advantage with a bases-loaded walk and another RBI single, carrying a 3-0 lead into the bottom half of the inning. 

North Georgia did not go down without a fight, as Morgan Martin blasted her ninth homer of the season to lead off the inning and cut the USCB lead to two. The Sand Sharks held on with three-straight outs to secure the series-opening win. 

Poss was tagged with her third loss of the season after allowing three runs on five hits, with most of the damage coming in the seventh inning. 
 
Game Two: North Georgia 11, USC Beaufort 5 
 
The Nighthawks' offense came alive in game two, plating runs in four different innings on nine hits to even the series. 

It did not take long for the Nighthawks to get on the board, as Carleigh Knowles lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Sydnee Reaves in the bottom of the first. North Georgia then took advantage of some miscues from USCB's pitching to work a pair of walks and scored a run off a wild pitch to leave the inning with a 2-0 lead. 

A quick inning from Lila Mullinax in the top of the second set the Nighthawks up to extend their lead in the home half of the inning with an RBI groundout by Jenna Miles. 

The Sand Sharks had an answer for North Georgia in the top of the third. A sacrifice fly to right field plated USCB's first run of the game to come within two. 

The Nighthawks responded with a three-run inning of their own in the home half of the third to recapture the lead. 

Back-to-back singles from Martin and Kayla Berry and a walk from Ava Lunsford loaded the bases for Kaitlyn Johnson, who lifted a sacrifice fly to foul territory to put North Georgia back in front. Journey Roberts kept things rolling with a two-RBI single to extend the cushion to three runs once more. 

USCB continued to fight, putting together another two-out rally with a double down the left field line to cut North Georgia's lead to one. 

With the Sand Sharks still in striking distance, North Georgia delivered its decisive blow in the fifth. 

 Berry led off the inning with a single, and Johnson followed with an RBI knock to extend the lead. After the Sand Sharks picked up their second out, the Nighthawks erupted four more runs, highlighted by a three-run single from Marycille Brumby to put the game out of reach. 

Berry highlighted the North Georgia lineup in game two with a pair of hits and walks in the victory. 

Caroline Conner picked up the win and the save, tossing 4.1 innings in relief with three strikeouts. 

Katelyn Boyette paced the Sand Sharks (21-15, 4-9 PBC) with two hits and two RBI. 

The Nighthawks (31-6, 11-3 PBC) will battle it out with USCB tomorrow afternoon at 12 p.m. to decide the series winner of this PBC matchup.