PEMBROKE, N.C. — The top-ranked North Georgia baseball team bounced back from Friday night's loss by defeating UNC Pembroke in a 16-10 slugfest Saturday afternoon at Sammy Cox Field. The Nighthawks move to 22-5 on the year with the win and are now 9-2 in Peach Belt Conference play.
After the two teams traded runs in the second, UNG took a 3-1 lead in the third with a pair of RBI singles by Trevor Sams and Bill Leroy. North Georgia added a run in the fourth but the Braves would answer with two runs in the home half of the inning to pull within one, 4-3.
Andres Perez extended the Nighthawk lead back out to 7-3 with his three-run homer to left in the fifth. UNCP answered with a single run in the bottom of the fifth but North Georgia got the run back in the top of the sixth with a Leroy home run to left.
That led to UNG's seven-run seventh that was sparked by a Michael Gouge two-run double down the right field line. The big rally gave the Nighthawks a 15-4 advantage. The Braves stayed in the game with a six-run frame in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Michael Bell drove in the final run of the game with an RBI single to left in the eighth that put UNG up, 16-10.
NOTES
- Michael Gouge and Bill Leroy led the Nighthawk effort at the plate each going 3-for-4 on the day with three runs scored.
- Gabe Moore (2-0) was credited with the win pitching the most innings effectively in relief, tossing two perfect innings to close out the game for UNG.
- There were a combined 10 pitchers used in the game with 395 pitches thrown.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will try to take the series in tomorrow's rubber game which is set for a 1 p.m. start.
