DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team erupted for seven runs in the opening inning and never looked back, defeating Flagler, 12-2, on day two of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Saturday.
Both teams entered the matchup coming off opening-day victories, but the Nighthawks quickly seized control with an explosive first frame. North Georgia sent 13 batters to the plate and tallied four hits, highlighted by RBI knocks from Brody Yeomans, Caleb Farr and Hunter Thompson. A sacrifice fly from Cam Hodge and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Yeomans capped the seven-run outburst.
Flagler got on the board in the second inning with a solo home run from Payton Palladino, but the Nighthawks answered immediately. Farr delivered an RBI double before JD Coleman added a run-scoring double and later came home on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 10-1.
The Saints added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice bunt, but the Nighthawks continued to add insurance. Yeomans drove in two more runs with a single through the right side in the bottom of the fourth to push the advantage to 12-2.
Yeomans led the offensive effort, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Farr finished 2-for-3 with three RBI. Thompson also contributed a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
On the mound, Andrew Duval (9-2) delivered a strong outing, allowing just two runs on four hits over seven innings. The left-hander struck out five and walked two in the victory.
With the win, North Georgia moves one step closer to the PBC Championship Series and will face the winner of Georgia Southwestern and Flagler on Sunday. The Nighthawks need just one more victory to advance to the conference title round.
