YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | The 26th-ranked University of North Georgia baseball team picked up a doubleheader sweep of rival Young Harris Saturday afternoon, 11-2 and 4-1. UNG advances to 25-11 and reclaims first-place in the Peach Belt Conference at 17-6. The Mountain Lions drop to 13-25, 7-16 in the PBC after today.
Sam Tidaback and Tremayne Toorie both had career days at the plate for North Georgia, as both players hit three home runs on the day.
Game One
The Nighthawks got things going in the top of the second with a pair of home runs from Tidaback and Andrew Gordon. The Mountain Lions would answer with one run in the bottom frame of the inning using a leadoff walk to their advantage, scoring him on an RBI to left by Michael Livingston, to cut the UNG lead to 2-1.
UNG exploited five Young Harris errors in the top of the third to score six runs – five unearned – on just three hits. Devin Gearhart dealt the biggest blow of the inning with his two-run double to left center. The big inning gave the Hawks an 8-1 lead.
The rest of the game went by quickly as the Mountain Lions would add their second run in the seventh and North Georgia picked up back-to-back homers in the top of the ninth with a two-run shot to left by Toorie and Tidaback’s second home run of the game, a big shot to left center.
Brandon Agar (4-3) went the distance for the Nighthawks – his first complete game of the season – striking out six while scattering seven YHC hits and allowing two runs.
Game Two
North Georgia got off to a good start again in the second game of the day as Toorie lifted his second home run of the day over the left field wall to score himself and Tomlinson, who had reached on a two-out hit by pitch. Young Harris got one back in the bottom frame of the inning though, scoring an unearned run. Nick Sexton reached on a throwing error by Joey Cecere as the UNG second baseman skied his throw to first into the first base dugout which also gave Sexton second. He came in to score on Zach Odom’s RBI single to center, making the game 2-1 in North Georgia’s favor.
After 14 straight frames without a score, Toorie provided a spark again in the top of the ninth with a booming shot to left to lead off the inning. Tidaback followed with a lined shot to left for another back-to-back combo with Toorie, repeating the feat from the first game to give North Georgia the 4-1 advantage that proved final.
Jacob Beauchamp (6-2) earned the win for the Nighthawks on the mound, pitching 7.1 innings allowing just one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine.
Chris Cobb picked up his fourth save of the year picking up the final five outs of the game recording two strike outs while walking one and allowing one hit.
Next Up
North Georgia will look to sweep the series and officially claim the baseball point for the Battle of Blood Mountain tomorrow. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Zell B. Miller Field.