(CLEVELAND, Tenn.) – The No. 23 University of North Georgia baseball team had its nine-game win streak snapped at No. 25 Lee Wednesday afternoon with a 15-5 loss. A six-run first inning paired with another three runs in the third and fifth innings from the Flames did the ultimate damage in just the fifth loss of the season for the Nighthawks.
Lee had had five extra base hits in the opening inning to lead to a 6-0 lead. The first frame was highlighted by a two-run home run from senior first baseman Matthew Batts.
The aptly named Flame infielder went 2-for-3 on the day with two RBIs and is hitting .356 for the year.
For the Nighthawks, they responded with a single run in the second inning after a ground out from sophomore infielder Luke Starling brought home junior outfielder Jorge Arispuro.
The Flames added another three runs in the third, nearly hitting for the cycle as a team. Lee recorded four singles, a double and a triple to make it a 9-1 game heading into the top of the fourth.
In the fifth inning, sophomore infielder Riley Frost recorded the only extra base knock of the day for UNG as he brought two runs across with a double to right center field.
Frost has played exceptionally well of late for head coach Tom Cantrell‘s team.
The junior from Roswell, Ga. has a hit in nine of the last 10 games and is currently on a four-game hitting streak in which he’s recorded multiple hits in each game. He was the only Nighthawk with multiple hits against the Flames. In those last four games, Frost is hitting .643 with five RBIs and three doubles.
Unfortunately, Frost’s efforts were not enough as Lee added three runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth as graduate outfielder Brandon Daniels hit a three-run home run to make it 12-3.
The Flames would add singular runs in each of the next three innings to lock up the win, 15-5.
UNG will continue on the road for another midweek game as the Nighthawks head to Catawba next for a 2 p.m. start tomorrow, Wednesday, Mar. 20 in Salisbury, N.C.
