2/19/17
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Fueled by a strong pitching performance from Daniel McCrary and perfect day from the plate from Connor Hoover, the No. 27 University of North Georgia baseball team posted a 5-4 win over Lynn on Sunday afternoon at Bob Stein Stadium, avoiding a three-game sweep. McCrary fanned seven Fighting Knights in six innings of work, scattering seven hits and three runs to earn his second win of the season.
Hoover started the Nighthawks’ scoring in the bottom of the first frame when his RBI-triple bounded off the top of the fence in dead centerfield, scoring Devin Gearhart who led off the inning on a first-pitch single.
After Lynn evened the score in the top of the second, Conner Corbitt placed a Lynn offering on the walking track well above the left field fence, giving North Georgia a lead that they would never relinquish.
A two-RBI double by Trevor Sams in the fourth and a RBI-groundout by Steven Tomlinson in the sixth rounded out UNG’s scoring.
Lynn added single runs in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings to cap the scoring for the Fighting Knights.
Defensively, a diving catch in left field by Corbitt in the fourth and a leaping snag by Michael Bell in the seventh extinguished scoring opportunities for Lynn.
NOTES
– Connor Hoover and Conner Corbitt combined to go 7-of-8 eight from the plate to lead the Nighthawk offense. Hoover was a perfect 4-for-4 and tallied his sixth multiple-hit game of the season, while Conner Corbitt was successful in three of his four plate appearances, including his third homerun of the season in the second inning.
– After allowing 34 hits in the first two games of the series, the North Georgia pitching staff held Lynn to just eight hits on the day, including just one through the first five innings.
– Michael Gouge extended his hitting streak to eight games with his single to right center in the third.
– McCrary’s seven strikeouts matched the single game high for the season that he set in a Feb. 5 win over Carson-Newman.
– Today’s game is the first all season that the Lynn was held to under five runs in a game.
NEXT
North Georgia continues its stretch of 10 consecutive home games when the Nighthawks host the Nighthawk’s Nest Classic on Feb. 24-26 at Bob Stein Stadium. The three-day event features six games between the Nighthawks, Albany State, Florida Tech and Qunicy. UNG will open the Classic with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch against Quincy on Friday, Feb. 24 at 1:00. Complete coverage of the event can be found on the Classic website.
