No. 9 UNG softball opens Peach Belt play with sweep of UNC Pembroke

PEMBROKE, N.C. -- The ninth-ranked University of North Georgia softball team opened up its Peach Belt slate with a doubleheader sweep at UNC Pembroke on Sunday, taking down the Braves by scores of 8-3 and 5-2. The Nighthawks advance to 21-5 on the year and 2-0 in conference action.

Courtney Poole (15-1) picked up both of the wins for the Nighthawks, pitching 12 of the 14 innings on the day. In all, Poole struck out 17 while allowing only two earned runs on 11 hits.

Game One
UNG took advantage of a UNCP error in the top of the second with Katie Block and Victoria Prince coming in to score unearned runs to give the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead.

The Braves answered in the bottom of the third with a run of their own on a double to left center by Kay Wilson. The Nighthawks did catch Wilson out at third though trying to stretch her double into a triple.

North Georgia broke the game wide open in the fourth scoring five runs by once again exploiting a UNCP error. Four of UNG's five runs in the inning were unearned.

The Nighthawks tacked on one more insurance run in the fifth scoring Block on an Alexis Collis sacrifice fly, giving UNG an 8-1 lead.

Poole picked up the win pitching the first 5.0 innings of the game while Meagan Stover pitched 2.0 innings of relief allowing two late runs to score.

Game Two
The Braves stayed with the Nighthawks most of the way in the latter half of the twin bill, holding a 1-0 lead through the first four innings after scoring an unearned run in the first.

North Georgia evened the score in the fifth. After Prince led off the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch and advancing to second and third on back-to-back groundouts, she came home to score on a RBI single up the middle by Taylor Anne Merritt.

The Nighthawks took control of the game in the top of the sixth, scoring four runs on six hits highlighted by an Ansley Phillips double that scored Prince and Block.

UNG finished with 11 hits in the game. Poole scattered eight UNCP hits while striking out eight in picking up the complete game win.

The Nighthawks travel to Francis Marion tomorrow for a doubleheader against the Patriots. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., with game two following immediately after.