Boxscore

DAHLONEGA, Ga. − No. 2 (NFCA Division II Top 25) North Georgia College & State University took advantage of three Flagler College errors to score four runs in the fifth inning in a 5-4 win in a winner's bracket game at the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Dahlonega Regional Saturday afternoon at Hill Stadium.

North Georgia improves to 49-9 on the season and advances to the championship game in the double-elimination tournament. Flagler fell to 41-17 and will play an elimination game tonight at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of the Augusta State University-Erskine College game. North Georgia leads the all-time series against Flagler 8-0.

“That is the best we have ever hit against (North Georgia pitcher) Sarah Phillips,” said Flagler head softball coach Kristen Overton. “But you cannot give a team like North Georgia extra outs.”

Phillips, all-time vs. Flagler, is 7-0 with a 0.60 earned run average. She has only allowed 18 hits in 58 innings vs. Flagler. One-third of those hits came today.

Trailing 3-1 going into the top of the fifth, Katie Garrett led off the inning by bunting the ball just in front of the pitcher's circle. Flagler first baseman Breezy Collings (Orange City, Fla., Brevard CC) fielded the ball, but her throw to first went off the glove of second baseman Alona Personius (Lake Stevens, Wash., Florida State College-Jacksonville). Garrett would go on to steal second and scored on Ansley Williams' double down the left field line. Williams took third on the errant throw to the plate to get Garrett. Kasey Knight grounded sharply to shortstop, but Williams was able to score to tie the game at 3-all. Sarah Johnson was hit in the right foot and late stole second. Pilar Harden doubled home Johnson to give North Georgia a 4-3 lead. Katherine Martin drove in the insurance run on a single to center field.

Phillips (20-4) tossed a complete game six-hitter. She allowed three earned runs and fanned four. She induced nine fly outs and seven ground outs.

Knight went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in for North Georgia. Martin singled twice and drove in a run.

Flagler had rallied from a 1-0 deficit with a three-run third inning. Personius drove in the first run with a single and Collings followed with a two-run single to right. Flagler scratched for another run in the seventh on a Lauren Ely (Winter Springs, Fla., Winter Springs HS) single and had the tying run at third, but couldn't push the run across.

Donna Munafo (Satellite Beach, Fla., Brevard CC) (7-8) tossed 4.2 innings in the loss. She surrendered six hits, one earned run and struck out five batters.


North Georgia 5, Flagler College 4 (May 14, 2011 at Dahlonega, GA)
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North Georgia....... 001 040 0 - 5 7 2 (49-9)
Flagler College..... 003 000 1 - 4 6 4 (41-17)
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Battery: North Georgia - Sarah Phillips and Natasha Willemse. Flagler College - Donna Munafo; Kalyn Loverich(5) and Katelyn Guinsler.
Win-Sarah Phillips(20-4) Loss-Donna Munafo(7-8) T-1:45 A-269
2B NG – Ansley Williams; Pilar Harden.