COLUMBUS — University of North Georgia ace Courtney Poole set two of the biggest milestones of her career in Friday's afternoon sweep of Columbus State as the eighth-ranked Nighthawks made quick work of the Cougars, 8-1 and 7-1, in the doubleheader. Poole picked up the 1,000th strikeout of her career fanning the last batter of the first game and then broke Sarah Phillips' North Georgia and Peach Belt Conference record of 124 all-time wins by earning her 125th victory in the second game of the twin bill.
GAME ONE
After Columbus State starter Hanna Manley retired North Georgia's first eight batters of the ballgame, the Nighthawk bats came to life in the fourth. With two on and two out it looked like a Katie Block grounder to third might end the inning but a throwing error allowed Stephanie Hartness and Whitney Worth to score. Ansley Phillips made the Cougars pay even more for the error as she sent a two-run blast to right center to give the Nighthawks a 4-0 lead.
UNG got right back to it in the fifth with singles from Meagan May and Brittani Crawford setting the table for RBI single from Jessica Finch and Meredith Heyer. Block came through with a sacrifice fly to left to extend the North Georgia lead, 7-0.
Hartness drove in the Nighthawks' eighth run of the game in the sixth with a single to left center that scored Alexis Collis from second. Columbus State found their way onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth scoring an unearned run off a botched play on the infield.
GAME TWO
North Georgia wasted no time getting the offense started in the second game of the day, scoring two in the top of the first. May reached on a third-strike wild pitch and scored from first on a double to center by Hartness. Hartness advanced to third on another wild pitch and then came in to score on a RBI groundout to short by Jessica Finch, giving UNG a 2-0 advantage.
CSU scored their only run of the game in the next frame stringing together a trio of singles, the last of which bounced off the glove of Phillips at third and into left field allowing Kia Smith to come in and score to cut the North Georgia lead to one, 2-1.
The Nighthawks answered with three runs in the top of the second as a Crawford single to right center scored Hannah McSwain and May. Then Finch drove in Hartness with a single down the left field line to push the UNG lead to 5-1.
May plated another run in the fourth as she scored McSwain with an RBI single through the left side and a Hartness home run to center in the sixth gave the game its final 7-1 score.
NEXT UP
North Georgia will welcome Georgia College to the friendly confines of Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium on Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Both games will be nationally televised on ESPN3 with Leah Secondo and Barbara Jordan on the call.
