GREENWOOD, S.C | In an offensive slugfest, the No. 22 University of North Georgia baseball team opened its Peach Belt Conference series with a 16-12 win over Lander at LU’s Dolney Stadium. The Nighthawks (21-9, 15-4 PBC) rallied back from three early deficits before pulling ahead with a six-run fifth inning to provide the difference.
Lander (17-20, 7-15 PBC) would not go quietly as the Bearcats used a five-run seventh inning to cut the Nighthawks’ seven-run cushion down to a single run, 13-12.
North Georgia iced the game with a three-run eighth inning highlighted by a two-RBI single by Sam Tidaback.
Chip Fleming (1-0) collected his first win of the season after tossing 2.2 innings of relief work, allowing three hits against four strikeouts.
Taylor Keinat registered his second save of the season after keeping the nine Bearcats he faced hitless.
Lander’s Joe Mackey (2-4) was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs, including five earned, in four innings.
Trevor Sams led North Georgia’s offensive barrage with a 3-for-6 night from the plate including a two-run homer in the Nighthawks’ big fifth inning. Andrew Gordon and Tidaback each added a pair of hits apiece with Gordon belting a double and a home run in his first two plate appearances.
Connor Hoover also frequented the base paths with five walks in six plate appearances.
The Nighthawks showed off their resiliency by responding in each of the five innings that Lander plated runs with runs of their own in the next frame.
The two teams will complete the three-game series tomorrow (April 4) with a 1:00 p.m., doubleheader.