4/10/18
DAHLONEGA – The No. 2 University of North Georgia defeated Alabama Huntsville in a game one blowout, 6-1, but it was Marley Stowers‘ outstanding base running in the nightcap that saved the sweep in a walk-off victory in game two, 2-1, Tuesday afternoon at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium.
GAME ONE
UNG jumped on the Chargers early in the second inning. Kaylyn Anthony lined a single up the middle to put a base runner on for the Nighthawks, paving the way for Alishia Frierson‘s double to right center to score Anthony and put UNG up, 1-0.
North Georgia extended their lead in the third frame. Marley Stowers doubled to left center to get the bats going, followed by a Brittany Gilliam homer, her sixth of the season, to tack on two more runs. The Nighthawks continued hammering away in the fifth with a RBI double from Sydney Sprague to score Hobby Gregory and another RBI single from Gilliam to make the score 5-0. A sacrifice fly in the sixth by Lexi Duncan gave the Nighthawks their sixth run of the game.
The Chargers struggled at the plate against Kylee Smith well until the seventh, when they were able to push one run across. Amber Hammonds doubled off left field wall to put a runner in scoring position for Jada Hayes, who singled to left to score Hammonds and clinch their only run of the contest to make the final score, 6-1.
GAME TWO
The nightcap saw a tighter match up between the Nighthawks and Chargers, as the first four frames were scoreless. UNG was first on the board in the fifth, but not until after UAH threatened to in the top of the frame. With Chargers on first and second, Alaina Hampton stroked a single to right. It was looking like UAH would claim the lead first, but Anthony gunned Hayes out at the plate to save the run from scoring.
Fired up from the run-saving play, the UNG offense came to life in the fifth. Stowers got the rally going with a single past the shortstop, followed by a Gilliam single through the infield to left. Aggressive base running allowed Stowers and Gilliam an extra base, putting themselves on second and third for Shelby Hammontree, whose hard grounder to second and bobble by the second basemen scored Stowers to claim the 1-0 lead.
Alabama Huntsville retaliated in the sixth by lacing together some singles to put runners on first and second. Reagan Malone’s liner to right tied it at 1-1.
Stowers led off the seventh with a hit-by-pitch, and was a martyr around the bases. She stole second and advanced to third on an overthrow by the catcher. A wild pitch to Hammontree allowed Stowers to score the go-ahead run and walk it off, 2-1.
NOTES
– Gilliam went 2-for-3 in game one with a single, a homer, three RBI and one run scored. Anthony went 2-for-3 with two singles and two runs scored.
– Stowers went 1-for-3 in game two with a single and scored both Nighthawk runs.
– In game one, Smith (23-1) got the win in the circle for the Nighthawks, and Hayes (5-2) was issued the loss. Bria Bush(2-0) earned the win from behind the rubber over UAH’s Layton Murphy (14-7) in game two.
– In between games, both UNG and UAH honored law enforcement personnel as part of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at The Hill. The Nighthawks wore black jerseys today, while the Chargers wore their all-blue uniforms.
NEXT UP
North Georgia will jump back into Peach Belt Conference play on the road this weekend in a doubleheader against Georgia Southwestern. First pitch is set for Saturday, April 14, at 1 p.m. in Americus, Georgia.
