3-2-16

DAHLONEGA | The long awaited home opener for the 13th-ranked University of North Georgia softball team did not disappoint a great weekday doubleheader crowd at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium as the Nighthawks earned two shutout victories over Lincoln Memorial, 6-0 and 4-0, Wednesday.

GAME ONE
Taking immediate advantage of a Meagan May leadoff triple, Stephanie Hartness drove in the first run of the day, scoring May on a hard hit single up the middle. A hit batsman and two walks, including an RBI base on balls by Ansley Phillipswould score Hartness to give UNG a 2-0 advantage in the first.

In the second, Meredith Heyer would drive in a run with a sacrifice fly to left to score Hannah McSwain from third. Later in the inning Kelly Kahlert picked up another RBI walk to plate Hartness and double the Nighthawk lead to 4-0.

UNG would plate a single run in both the third and fourth inning but couldn’t reach the eight-run mark to end the game early. The Nighthawks left 11 on base in the game.

GAME TWO
North Georgia took another early lead in the second game of the day as Heyer blasted a ball to center that would hit the top of the wall and bounce over for a two-run home run.

The remainder of the game would be a pitcher’s duel with the exception of short UNG rally in the bottom of the fifth when Hartness came up with a clutch two-run double to left center to score May and McSwain, giving the Nighthawks the 4-0 lead that proved final.

NOTES
– Stephanie Hartness made the most of her first official game in action at Hill Stadium, with a 4-for-6 performance with two runs and three runs batted in.

– Courtney Poole (16-0) picked up both wins on the day pitching the first five innings of game one before going the distance in game two. The Watkinsville native finished the day with a combined 18 strikeouts, allowing just one walk and five hits.

– In the national spotlight, Poole is currently leading the nation in wins and strikeouts. She also sports the best ERA in the nation of any pitcher with at least 40.0 innings pitched at 0.44.

– North Georgia moved up to No. 13 in this week’s NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, which was released just minutes before UNG’s doubleheader today.
STAT OF THE DAY
12.5 – The average number of pitches Courtney Poole threw per inning in today’s doubleheader.

NEXT UP
The Nighthawks return to action at “The Hill” this weekend, hosting the Captain D’s Surf & Turf Classic. Play starts with a doubleheader on Friday against Virginia-Wise. First pitch for the twin bill is set for 3 p.m.
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