(DAHLONEGA) – The No. 1 University of North Georgia softball team took down Montevallo in a double header Tuesday at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park.
The Nighthawks won game one 9-1 thanks to a late rally, and held on for a close win in game two, 1-0.
UNG remains home for its next series as it returns to conference play to welcome Flagler for a three-game set beginning with a double header on Friday, Mar. 23 at 1 p.m.
Game 1: Nighthawks def. Falcons, 9-1 (5 Inn.)
Senior pitcher Kristen Davis took the circle for head coach Mike Davenport‘s team in the first game of the day.
Davis would be the only pitcher in the circle for the Nighthawks as she pitched a complete five innings, only allowing four hits and one run.
The lone Montevallo run of the day was scored off a solo home run from freshman infielder Kendall Channell.
UNG got on the board in the first inning thanks to a triple from senior outfielder Mallory Parker to give the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead.
Then came Channell’s homer in the top of the second to make it 2-1.
UNG scratched a lone run in the third to pad the lead before blowing it open with a six-run fourth inning.
After a pop out in the lead off spot, the next three Nighthawk hitters reached safely to load the bases for senior outfielder Mariah Wicker.
Wicker stepped up and launched her fourth home run of the year, a grand slam to make it a 7-1 ball game.
With two more runs in the inning thanks to a steal of home from senior infielder Sophie Mooney and an RBI double from Parker, UNG suddenly only needed three outs in the fifth to secure the win.
They got just that as Davis faced four batters and recorded three outs to earn her 14th win of the season.
Game 2: Nighthawks def. Falcons, 1-0
In the evening’s second game, a lone fifth inning run would be all the offense UNG needed to come out with a win.
The game’s only run came when junior shortstop Rylie Moody hit her fourth home run of the season over the left field wall.
The bomb marks Moody’s second in the last four games.
Senior pitcher Tybee Denton took the circle this time and was stellar, recording eight strikeouts in seven innings. None were bigger than the final one.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Montevallo had the tying run at second base.
The Falcons’ lead off hitter Ariana Pinder was at the plate with a chance to tie the game.
Instead, she swung and missed for Denton’s eighth and final strikeout to end the game.
The win marks Denton’s 14th of the year as she allowed just four hits. Denton has now recorded 13 games allowing four hits or less this season.
