Friday March 29th, 2024 8:05AM

UNG baseball claims Peach Belt regular season title

By UNG Athletics Communications

DAHLONEGA — The third-ranked University of North Georgia baseball team claimed the outright Peach Belt Conference regular season title with a 10-4 win over Flagler on Saturday afternoon at UNG's Bob Stein Stadium. The Nighthawks would go on to win the second game of the doubleheader, 5-2, to up their record to 36-8 overall and 19-5 in PBC play.

The PBC regular season crown is the second in the last three years as the Nighthawks claimed their first ever title in 2015. North Georgia collected regular season hardware having won NAIA regular season conference title in both 2001 and 2003. 

Game #1 - North Georgia 10, Flagler 4
The Nighthawks continued the first inning momentum they demonstrated in game one of the weekend series, scoring four runs off of four hits, including RBI singles form Bill Leroy and Steven Tomlinson to get them off to an early 4-0 lead.

North Georgia was able to keep the Saints off the board until the top of the fourth when Flagler plated their first run of the game on a RBI-groundout.

Hoover added to his RBI count in the fourth with a double to centerfield that drove in Steven Tomlinson to make the score 5-1.

After allowing Flagler to score one in the top of the fifth, the Nighthawks tacked on two runs in the bottom half of the inning, coming off of three hits, including an RBI-triple form Conner Corbitt, making the score 7-2.

The Saints went on to put one on in the sixth, but the Nighthawks responded with a three-run seventh inning, highlighted by RBI doubles from Leroy and Kal Dempsey.

Flagler put on their fourth run in the eighth inning, but it would not be enough as the 10-4 decision was good to give the Nighthawks the outright Peach Belt Conference regular season title.

Daniel McCrary (8-1) is credited with the win after eight innings of starting work.

Game #2 - North Georgia 5, Flagler 2
It was Flagler on the board first in game two of the doubleheader, scoring two runs in the third inning. The first run came off a solo homerun with the second coming off a two-out, RBI-single up the middle.

Connor Hoover quickly answered the homerun with one of his own, sending a ball soaring over the scoreboard in centerfield to narrow the deficit to 2-1.

The Nighthawks tied the game in the fourth inning after Dempsey was drawn home on a wild pitch and would go on to score two runs in the fifth, to take the lead for good. The fifth inning score line was again kicked off with a towering shot from Hoover over the centerfield fence.

Hoover's 15th homerun of the season was followed later in the inning with an RBI-single from Leroy to make the score 4-2.

The fifth and final run of the game for the Nighthawks came in the seventh inning as Trevor Sams was able to advance home after a wild pitch and throwing error.

Jack Fleming recorded his third save of the season and second of the weekend series after coming in to closeout the game with three quick outs in the ninth inning.

Dylan Peppers (6-2) was credited with the save after striking out 12 and allowing just five hits in seven innings of starting work.

NOTES
- Bill Leroy and Conner Corbitt both went 3-for-5 from the plate, recording two RBIs apiece in the first game.

- Connor Hoover went 2-for-4 from the plate in game two, highlighted by his two homeruns, marking the junior's 20th multiple-hit game of the season.

- Michael Bell led the way from the plate in game two as he recorded a team-high three hits extending his on-base streak to 27 straight games.

- With 12 strikeouts in the second game, Dylan Peppers has now earned ten or more strikeouts in his last three outings.

NEXT UP
The Nighthawks look to take both games of the home-and-home series with West Georgia as they host the Wolves on Tuesday, April 25. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Bob Stein Stadium.

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