DAHLONEGA —Despite losing the first game of the day, the No. 18 University of North Georgia softball team showed their resiliency, grinding out a 4-1 extra innings win over Lincoln Memorial to punch their ticket to Denver and the 2022 NCAA Division II Softball Championship to begin next week.
GAME 1 - LMU 3, UNG 1
Lincoln Memorial did all their damage in the first inning, capitalizing on a pair of hits and a Nighthawk error to score three runs in the frame. Sierra Hucklebee got it started with a single through the left side before McKenzie Henry doubled to score the other two runs.
North Georgia had their opportunities but only broke through once as Jaycie Michael brought home UNG's lone run of the game in the sixth on a RBI double to left center.
GAME 2 - UNG 4, LMU 1 (8 inn.)
The Railsplitters and Nighthawks traded blows early but neither team found the scoreboard until LMU scratched a run across in the fourth on a Henry single up the middle. North Georgia answered immediately to tie the game up as Haley Cummings singled back where it came from.
After neither team could break through in regulation to end the game, North Georgia finally had the bats wake up in the eighth as Hannah Forehand singled home a run before Michael blasted her first collegiate homer over the right field wall to take a 4-1 lead.
NOTES
- This is the seventh time in program history that North Georgia will advance to the national final site in the NCAA era. It is the first time the Nighthawks have gone in consecutive years since going back-to-back-to-back in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
- Michael went 4-for-6 at the plate on the day.
- UNG is now 2-3 in extra inning games this season.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will open play in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship on Thursday. With Super Regional play extending into Saturday as the Atlantic Regional was washed out on Friday, the remaining eight teams will be reseeded prior to game times being announced over the weekend.
