DAHLONEGA – Despite a pair of home runs from Jake Streeter, the University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team dropped the opening game of the Peach Belt Conference Championship series to Lander, 6-4, on Friday at Bob Stein Stadium.
The Nighthawks struck first in the opening inning when Brody Yeomans doubled to left field to score Brady Skipper and give North Georgia a 1-0 lead. Lander answered in the second on an RBI single before Streeter quickly put the Nighthawks back in front with a solo home run to right field in the bottom half of the inning.
North Georgia starter Matthew Heard kept the Bearcats in check through much of the afternoon, allowing four runs across seven innings while striking out four. Lander tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single before taking its first lead of the day in the seventh on a pair of solo home runs.
The Nighthawks responded immediately in the bottom of the seventh as Streeter launched his second solo homer of the afternoon to cut the deficit to one. Later in the inning, Hunter Thompson tied the game at 4-4 with a solo shot to center field.
Lander regained control in the ninth with a two-run homer to right field, providing the eventual final margin.
Streeter finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and two RBI to lead the North Georgia offense. Yeomans added a 2-for-5 performance with an RBI, while Skipper also recorded multiple hits for the Nighthawks.
Chandler Thiel was charged with the loss in relief, falling to 4-1 on the season after allowing two runs over the final two innings.
North Georgia returns to action Saturday in an elimination game scheduled for 1 p.m. A Nighthawks victory would force a winner-take-all Game 3 at 5 p.m.
