MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | The University of North Georgia used an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Young Harris College 5-4 in the semifinals of the Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament Saturday (April 22) afternoon at the Peeler Complex on the Georgia College campus.

The Nighthawks, who are ranked eighth nationally, improved to 43-10 with their second one-run win over their cross-mountain rival. The Mountain Lions fell to 42-12. Young Harris, which is ranked third in the latest NCAA Division II regional rankings, will now have to wait until May 8 to see if the make the NCAA Division II tournament field.

North Georgia opened up a 4-0 lead as the Nighthawks pushed across a run in the first inning and added three more in the second. 

Young Harris tied the game at 4 with four runs in the fourth inning.The Mountain Lions got their first run on a sacrifice fly from Murphy Davis. Kelsey Nix drove in another run on her fielder's choice before the Mountain Lions added two more runs on a fielding error. The Mountain Lions had a chance to score more runs in an inning later as they loaded the bases with one out, bur reliever Kylee Smith (26-4) was able to get the next two batters to line out and strike out to wiggle out of the jam.

North Georgia scored the winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the seventh. 

Nikkie Kovalsky (23-7) took the loss for YHC. The Mountain Lions had seven hits in the game with All-Peach Belt Tournament performer Jill Torres collecting two. Torres and Georgia Webb each had a double for the Mountain Lions,.