DAHLONEGA, Ga. – No. 1 (NFCA Division II Top 25) University of North Georgia swept a Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader against Flagler College Friday evening at Hill Stadium. The Nighthawks won the opener 5-0 and took the nightcap 5-3.
North Georgia extended its winning streak to 11 games and wraps up its regular season schedule with a 53-2 overall record and a 19-1 mark in the PBC. The Nighthawks are the No. 1 seed going into next weekend's (May 4-5) conference tournament at Dahlonega. Flagler fell to 26-25 overall and the Saints wrap up conference play with a 9-11 record. Flagler will be the No. 6 seed in next weekend's tournament and will face either No. 20 Georgia College or Columbus State University.
In the opener, Kylee Smith (28-1) tossed a one-hit shutout as she struck out 12 batters, walked one and hit a batter.
She got all of the offense she would need in the second inning when Sydney Sprague belted a three-run home run to left-center.
The Nighthawks added single tallies in the fourth and sixth innings.
Sprague went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and she scored two runs. Brittany Gilliam hit a double and drove in two runs.
Tatum Morgan had Flagler's lone hit, a single to left field with two outs in the seventh.
Ally Marcano (10-13) allowed five runs on seven hits as she took the loss in the circle. She walked four and struck out five.
In game two, the Saints took an early 1-0 lead on
Jaclyn Mijuskovic's lead-off home run in the second inning.
But North Georgia answered with four runs in the home-half of the inning, two of which were unearned. Kaylyn Anthony hit a solo home run to get things started and Shelby Hammontree followed with a double to right-center. Two batters later, Jordan Deep drew a two-out walk. Hobby Gregory followed with a single that scored Hammontree from second and Deep took third while Gregory advanced to second on the throw into the plate. A throwing error by Mijuskovic allowed both Deep and Gregory to score.
Flagler got a run back in the third inning thanks to a pair of doubles, one from
Morgan Murphy and then
Maria Kappos.
Gilliam gave the Nighthawks some insurance with a solo home run in the third.
Garland Evans led off the seventh inning for Flagler with a double, moved to third on a ground out and then scored on another ground out.
Bria Bush (3-0) picked up the win in relief for North Georgia. She tossed 5 1/3 innings, scattered four hits and allowed two runs.
Six different players had one hit for North Georgia. Gilliam and Anthony each hit a solo home run.
Katlyn McCue (16-12) took the loss after allowing three earned runs on six hits.
Evans went 2-for-4 with the double and she scored a run.
Flagler concludes its regular season on Sunday with a single game at No. 23 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at 1 p.m. at Daytona Beach.
