Here is a round up of the weekend's action for University of North Georgia teams:
Anathasane wins Peach Belt Championship; women’s golf takes 2nd
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Maddie Ananthasane became the second University of North Georgia women's golfer to win the Peach Belt Conference individual championship Sunday as the No. 21 Nighthawks claimed a program-best second place finish at the league tournament.
Ananthansane, the PBC Freshman of the Year, followed teammate Megan Sabol who captured the individual champion honor in 2018. She began Sunday's final round one stroke behind Thorne, but then played the front nine in even par with a birdie on the ninth to finish with a 10-over 54-hole score.
Sabol also earned All-Tournament Team honors with a fourth place finish at 12-over for the tournament, marking her second time on the All-Tournament Team.
The second place team finish is one spot higher than a third place final positioning in 2017-18. UNG finished one spot behind No. 13 Flagler, who won their fourth straight team title by 10 shots over the Nighthawks. UNG held off a charge from Lander, beating the Bearcats by a single stroke, while Columbus State and Young Harris rounded out the top five.
North Georgia will now await regional announcements to be made. The Nighthawks were the ninth-ranked team in the South Region this past week when the regional rankings were released. The NCAA selections will be announced on April 26.
No. 3 softball sweeps Georgia College
MILLEDGEVILLE — The third-ranked University of North Georgia softball team took care of business in Peach Belt Conference action Sunday as the Nighthawks swept Georgia College on the road.
GAME ONE: UNG 12, GC 0 (5 inn.)
After two scoreless innings, the floodgates opened for North Georgia, starting with a three-run homer from Margaret Simmons. Shelby Hammontree kept things going in the fourth with a three-run blast of her own, followed by a Gracie Mixson RBI double to push the lead to 7-0.
North Georgia scored their final five runs of the game in the fifth inning, using a Hammontree RBI double, a Georgia Blair RBI double, a Madi Perry RBI single and a homer from Madison Henry.
Kylee Smith (9-3) threw a no-hitter in the five inning game, fanning eight while walking just two.
GAME TWO: UNG 9, GC 1
Georgia College scored their lone run in the first, drawing a bases loaded walk. The Nighthawks answered in the second, getting a sacrifice fly from Cheyanne Mosteller and a RBI single from Olivia Sinquefield to take a 2-1 lead.
Kaylyn Anthony got things started in the third, hitting a two-run blast that was followed by a Mariah Wicker RBI triple that gave UNG a 5-1 lead. Simmons jumpstarted the fourth inning with a solo homer that preceded a bases loaded fielder's choice and another Mosteller sacrifice fly. Simmons hit a second solo homer in the seventh to wrap up the scoring.
Laken Chambers (9-0) took the win, throwing 5.1 innings of relief and allowing just four hits and a walk.
NOTES:
-- Simmons went 3-for-6 on the day with five RBI and a trio of runs scored. Hammontree went 3-for-3, drawing four walks on the day to go with four RBI and two runs scored.
-- UNG takes its magic number to clinch a spot in the PBC Tournament down to four.
NEXT UP
North Georgia can trim that number down further on Tuesday when they host Lander for a 3 p.m. twinbill at The Hill.
Kinsel takes 2nd; men's golf 5th at PBC Championships
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Stephen Kinsel finished in a tie for second at 5-under-par as the No. 19 North Georgia men's golf team finished in fifth place at the Peach Belt Conference Championships Sunday at the Slammer & Squire.
Kinsel shot 4-under 68 in the final round to lead North Georgia on the day, carding six birdies. Earning All-Tournament Team honors, Kinsel joins Logan Archer (2019), Matt Elliott (2017) and Michael Motz (2014) as the only Nighthawks to finish in the top five at the PBC Championships.
North Georgia's fifth place finish is the highest finish for the program in the conference championship, besting an eighth place finish in 2019. UNG shot 10-over for the tournament, finishing 18 shots behind No. 12 Young Harris, who won the tournament. No. 6 USC Aiken finished in second, seven shots off the pace, followed by Lander, No. 9 Georgia Southwestern and UNG.
Grant Crowell shot even-par 72 in the final round to finish the tournament at 1-under and in a tie for eighth. Noah Zediker also finished in the top 20, coming in a tie for 17th at 5-over for the 54-hole event.
The Nighthawks will now await regional announcements from the NCAA. With the selection show on Friday, North Georgia was No. 7 in the latest regional rankings announced last week.
Tennis teams earn No. 3 seeds in PBC tournament
AUGUSTA — The North Georgia tennis teams each earned the No. 3 seed in their respective Peach Belt Conference Tournaments that will begin the week of April 26.
North Georgia's men will travel to No. 6 and second-seeded Lander for the semifinal round. The Nighthawks enter tournament play with a 10-3 record, 5-2 in conference play and are tied for 12th in the nation in the latest national poll. UNG will be looking to advance beyond the semifinal round for the first time in program history. In the other semifinal, top-seeded and No. 1 Columbus State will take on fourth-seeded Flagler.
The women will hit the road back to St. Augustine to battle No. 14 Flagler in the semifinal round. Tying the highest seed in program history, the Nighthawks advanced to the championship match in the last iteration of the tournament in 2019. The Nighthawks enter tournament play with an 11-3 record, 6-2 in conference play and are ranked No. 16 in the nation.
Match times and attendance policies will be announced later this week.
