MELBOURNE, Fla. — A two-run sixth inning, helped by an insurance run in the seventh, was enough to push the North Georgia baseball team past Florida Tech in the 2019 season opener Friday night, 4-2.
The Panthers jumped out first on a RBI triple by Jakob Newton in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead. UNG answered with a Chase Sudduth RBI single in the top half of the fifth to plate Crews Taylor to knot the game up, 1-1.
FIT answered in the bottom half of the frame, using a Dylan Owens single to score Raul Quintero to retake the lead, 2-1. The Nighthawks then took the game over after a Florida Tech error allowed the tying run to score in the top of the sixth, followed by a William Mapes single to score Josh Profit, giving UNG their first lead of the season.
Florida Tech threatened to score in the bottom of the sixth, loading up the bases with two outs, but Cody Collett shut the door with a crucial strikeout to get UNG out of the jam. Jake Arnold's single in the top of the seventh that scored Conner Corbitt gave UNG the cushion needed to earn their first win of 2019.\
NOTES
- Former Lumpkin County standout Daniel McCrary (1-0) earned the win in relief, going 1 1/3 innings and striking out two batters. Cade Heil got a no decision after throwing 4.1 innings and striking out two. Parker Morrison (1) got the save, striking out all three batters he faced.
- Taylor, Corbitt and Mapes each had two-hit games.
- UNG has now won three of its last four season openers with the only loss in the stretch coming last season at the hands of FIT.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks and Panthers will go at it again tomorrow evening with first pitch at 6 p.m.
