2/3/17
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The 27th-ranked University of North Georgia baseball team started off their 2017 campaign on the right foot Friday afternoon with a season opening victory over Carson-Newman, 6-4, at Bob Stein Stadium. The Nighthawks battled back from a 3-2 deficit, scoring a pair of runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to pull away from the Eagles.
Both teams knocked the rust off in the first inning scoring two runs each. Carson-Newman got started with an infield single back to the pitcher on a play that caught the Nighthawks a little off guard with no one covering the bag at first. Cade Snapp would take advantage of the miscue with a two-run home run just moments later to give C-N its first lead of the day. Devin Gearhart started off the bottom frame of the inning with a single through the left side and following a Michael Gouge walk, Trevor Sams delivered a two-run double into the gap in left center to tie the game at 2-2.
The Nighthawks would go on to hold Carson-Newman hitless until the ninth inning but gifted a run to the Eagles in the top of the fifth with a two-out hit by pitch followed by a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt that allowed the runner to advance all the way to third and that was followed by a wild pitch that let the runner score to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
UNG took advantage of a pair of walks in the bottom of the sixth as Steven Tomlinson drilled a double into the right center gap giving the Nighthawks their first lead of the day, 4-3. The defense followed with a three-up, three-down top of the seventh that gave way to more run production after the stretch as Gouge picked up his first home run as a Nighthawk, a two-run shot to left center, extending the North Georgia lead to 6-3.
C-N started the top of the ninth with a leadoff double and while they were able to eventually bring the runner home, could not string a rally together, giving the game its final 6-4 score.
NOTES
– Sophomore righty Derrick Pickvet picked up the win in relief pitching 3.2 innings of one-hit ball while allowing one run with two walks and a strike out. Jacob Jones earned his first save of the season recording the final two outs of the game.
– This is UNG’s second consecutive opening day 9-8
– The Nighthawks improve to 12-5 all-time against Carson-Newman, having won the last six straight against the Eagles.
NEXT UP
UNG will try to clinch the series victory tomorrow. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
