YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Young Harris College and No. 7 University of North Georgia split a Peach Belt Conference softball doubleheader Tuesday (April 21) afternoon at E.D. Rivers Field.
The Nighthawks scored two runs in the top of the seventh to take game one 3-2 while the Mountain Lions picked up their first-ever victory over their cross-mountain rivals as Young Harris collected 12 hits in a 10-6 victory in game two. The 10 runs were the most scored against North Georgia this season.
Young Harris improved to 31-17 overall and to 14-10 in the Peach Belt while the Nighthawks fell to 41-7 and 22-2. Young Harris will be the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Tournament this weekend in Milledgeville, Georgia. The Mountain Lions will play No. 4 seed Georgia Regents University Augusta in a 1:30 p.m. quarterfinal contest Friday (April 24) in the single-elimination tournament.
Young Harris took a 1-0 lead in the nightcap on Lindsay Tudor's RBI double to right field in the second inning. The Nighthawks tied the game at 1 in the top of the fourth on Jessica Finch's single, but the Mountain Lions broke the game open with a five-run bottom of the fourth as they took advantage of two UNG miscues. Murphy Davis tripled down the right field line to drive in two runs to take a 3-1 lead off Courtney Poole (34-3). Jeanie Perrucci added a RBI double and Sarah Beth Marquis added her own run-scoring double.
North Georgia pulled within a run at 6-5 with four runs in the top of the fifth with the big hit being a bases-clearing double to right-center by Ansley Phillips. Young Harris got a run back in its half of the inning on another Nighthawk error. UNG added a run in the top of the sixth before the Mountain Lions added three insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Sarah Magill, who is fifth in NCAA Division II in RBI, drove in two runs with a double through the left side and Georgia Webb added a sacrifice fly to give Young Harris a 10-6 lead.
Darby Stanford (19-7) earned the win for Young Harris.
Marquis led Young Harris with a 4-for-4 effort while Perrucci, Magill and Davis each collected two hits.
In the opener, North Georgia struck first in the sixth inning of the pitching duel between Poole and Stanford when Tiffanie Burns singled to give the Nighthawks a 1-0 lead. Young Harris tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the sixth on a Sydnee Weaver triple to center.
The Nighthawks added two runs in the seventh on a pair of fielder's choice with the bases loaded. Young Harris got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a Davis single down the right field line, but couldn't get any closer.
Weaver, Chandler Stooksbury, Georgia Webb and Davis each collected a hit for the Mountain Lions in game one.
