(DAHLONEGA )– The top-ranked University of North Georgia softball team split a pair of games on the final day of the Captain D’s Surf & Turf Classic on Saturday at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park. The Nighthawks beat Emmanuel 11-3 in six innings before suffering their first loss of the season with an 7-6 setback to Catawba.

No. 1 North Georgia 11, Emmanuel 2 (6 Innings)
Anniston Wright (1-0) started in the circle and picked up the win for North Georgia. The right-hander went 4.1 innings, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on eight hits. Kristen Davis also made an impact in the circle for the Nighthawks, throwing 1.2 shutout innings while allowing one hit.

At the plate, the Nighthawks were paced by Kaitlyn Johnson, who went 2-for-2 on the day with a double and three RBI. Mallory Parker furnished a standout performance at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Jolie Lester also helped out for North Georgia, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate while adding a walk and two RBI.

Trailing 1-0, the Nighthawk offense started clicking and put up seven runs in the fourth, including a three-run double off the bat of Johnson and a two-run single from Lester.

In the fifth, Emmanuel added a pair of runs but North Georgia responded in the bottom of the frame, the big hit being an RBI double from Parker, which brought the Nighthawks lead to 9-3.

In the sixth, the Nighthawks notched two runs when a single from Chloe Poss brought home Katie Ward and Grayson Perry to walk the game off.

Catawba 7, No. 1 North Georgia 6
Jolie Lester racked up four hits, but the No. 1 North Georgia Nighthawks suffered its first loss of the season in the team’s final game of the classic.

Sophie Mooney (0-1) took the loss in the circle for North Georgia (7-1).

Lester’s four-hit day led the Nighthawks offensively. Gracie Mixon furnished a standout performance as well, going 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and an RBI. Mooney also contributed for North Georgia at the plate, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double and an RBI.

The Nighthawks got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the top of the first inning thanks to Mallory Parker’s RBI double.

The Indians then tied the ballgame at one before the Nighthawks came back to reclaim their advantage in the third inning. The North Georgia offense exploded for four runs, highlighted by a one-run double off the bat of Mixon, which brought the Nighthawks lead to 5-1.

Catawba fought back to tie the ballgame at five before North Georgia reclaimed a 6-5 advantage in the seventh inning. The Nighthawks were unable to hold the lead, as Catawba scored two times in the bottom half of the seventh to grab the 7-6 win.

North Georgia (7-1) hosts the UNG Leadoff Classic next weekend (Feb. 16-18) when Lake Erie, Lenoir-Rhyne and UNC Pembroke comes to Dahlonega for a nine-game event. North Georgia will open up play on Friday (Feb. 16) with a single game against UNC Pembroke at 2:00 p.m.