DAHLONEGA — The No. 18 University of North Georgia softball team grabbed momentum early and never let go of it as they took down Lincoln Memorial, 9-1, in five innings Thursday to take a 1-0 lead in the Southeast Super Regional.
After working out of a little jam in the first inning, the Nighthawks got the hot bats going in the second inning, starting with a two run blast from Hannah Forehand down the left field line. Jaycie Michael and Gracie Mixson reached base after the homer, setting up Madi Perry and Jolie Lester to combine for three RBI off back-to-back singles and push the lead to 5-0. Lester scored on a wild pitch later in the frame before Mallory Parker singled to score the inning's final run, giving the Nighthawks a 7-0 advantage.
The Railsplitters answered in the fourth with a run off a Katie Tuggle double, but North Georgia put the game away in the fifth, scoring on RBI singles from Lester and Madison Simmons to secure the run-rule win.
NOTES
- Kristen Davis (17-4) earned the win, going four innings with a strikeout while allowing just one run off three hits and two walks.
- The win for UNG stretches the winning streak to 11, while the loss for LMU snaps a six game winning streak that stretched back to the April 25 meeting between the two sides.
- Lester, Parker, Mixson and Perry each had two hits in the contest.
NEXT UP
North Georgia will look to punch their ticket to Denver with a win tomorrow. Game two of the Super Regional is set for a 1 p.m. start with the "If Necessary" game to follow should Lincoln Memorial win in the day's opener.
