ST. AUGUSTINE –
Kyra Gipson tossed a three-hit shutout to win in the first game 1-0, and Flagler College took advantage of six University of North Georgia errors to complete the sweep with a 7-3 triumph in game two Friday afternoon at Flagler Field.
Flagler has won three in a row and improved to 27-18 overall and 10-4 in the Peach Belt Conference. North Georgia, ranked No. 3 in the nation by the NFCA, had its six-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 34-10 overall and 11-3 in conference play. This was the first time the Nighthawks were swept in a doubleheader since March 24, 2017 at Georgia College.
"These were two huge wins for our program," said head coach
Kathryn Geouge. "Kyra threw two amazing games and our defense came up with some really big outs in pressure situations. I was really proud of our situational execution and the way we fought together through all 14 innings today."
In the opener, Gipson (14-8) out-dueled North Georgia ace Kylee Smith (19-2). She fanned a season-high nine batters and tossed her fifth shutout of the season. Gipson retired the last nine batters in a row.
Smith scattered four hits and struck out eight batters.
The only run of the game came in the bottom of the bottom of the seventh inning.
Natalie Murphy drew a one-out walk and
Zoe Mooney came in to pinch run for her at first base.
Morgan Murphy followed with a hard grounder up the middle. North Georgia second baseman Kaylee Womack dove to cut off the grounder, but in so doing, the ball deflected off her glove and rolled all the way to the wall in left-center. That allowed the speedy Mooney to scamper all the way around the bases to win the game.
Morgan Murphy was credited with a triple.
Tatum Morgan and
Megan Miller had the other hits for the Saints.
Kaylyn Anthony, Lexi Duncan, and Shelby Hammontree each hit a single for the Nighthawks.
In the second game, North Georgia scored an unearned run in the first inning, but Flagler came back to scored two in the second and four more in the third to take a commanding 6-1 lead.
An infield single by Miller and a sacrifice fly gave the Saints a 2-1 lead through two, and then in the third, Flagler sent 10 batters to the plate and took advantage of two North Georgia miscues to score four unearned runs.
Natalie Murphy added an RBI-single in the fifth to give Flagler a 7-2 lead.
Marley Stowers hit a solo home run in the seventh for North Georgia.
Gipson (15-8) pocketed her second win of the day. She scattered seven hits and allowed two earned runs. She bested her first game strikeout tally with 12.
Morgan Murphy collected three singles and scored two runs.
Garland Evans and
Maria Kappos each hit a single. Morgan hit a single, scored a run, and drove in another. Miller added a single, scored two runs, and had one run batted in.
NaJah Gerrald hit a single, scored a run, and drove in another.
Abbie Crawford (9-3) took the loss in the circle for North Georgia. She allowed two earned runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Anthony went 2-for-4 with a double and she scored a run. Duncan finished with a pair of singles.
Flagler hosts Young Harris College in a conference doubleheader on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Flagler Field.
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