AIKEN, S.C. — A combined 19 hits and seven stolen bases along with two solid outings from Courtney Poole propelled the seventh-ranked University of North Georgia softball team to a doubleheader sweep of USC Aiken, 6-0 and 6-1, Sunday afternoon in UNG's final road games of the regular season. The Nighthawks improve to 43-6 and now hold a three-game lead in the Peach Belt Conference standings at 19-1.
GAME ONE
After three scoreless innings to start the game, Brittani Crawford got UNG on the board first with single to center that scored Whitney Worth from second. Katie Block followed with a two-run shot to left center that gave the Nighthawks a 3-0 lead.
Stephanie Hartness plated Kali Turner in the fifth with a double in the left center gap and then came in to score herself on a Jessica Finch single to left center that extended the UNG lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Ansley Phillips would drive in Block in the sixth to give the game its final score, 6-0.
GAME TWO
Hartness got North Georgia on the board in the first with a solo homer to center to put UNG up early, 1-0. Heads up base running platted another for the Nighthawks in the second and a Meredith Heyer sacrifice fly in the third gave UNG a 3-0 lead after three.
An RBI single from Block in the sixth and a two-run single to right center by Finch in the seventh extended the North Georgia lead to 6-0. USC Aiken pushed across their only run of the day with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will return home for their final four games of the regular season starting with a doubleheader against Augusta on Thursday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Haines and Carolyn Hill Stadium
