DAHLONEGA, Ga. | Andres Perez drove in four runs as the University of North Georgia claimed a 7-2 Peach Belt Conference baseball victory over Young Harris College Sunday (April 8) afternoon at Bob Stein Stadium.

The Nighthawks claimed the Battle of Blood Mountain weekend series as they improved to 21-13 overall and to 13-8 in the Peach Belt, while Young Harris fell to 21-17 and 13-11. Young Harris will travel to Central, South Carolina, Wednesday (April 11) for a 6 p.m. contest against Southern Wesleyan University.

The Mountain Lions jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on Jackson Jones' fifth homer - a solo shot to right-center field - of the season. 

North Georgia took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the inning as Perez connected on his 15th long ball - a three-run home runs to right-center field - of 2018. The Nighthawks added single runs in the second and fourth innings to extend their advantage to 5-2. Joshua Profit had a sacrifice fly in the second and Bill LeRoy had an RBI infield single two innings later.

YHC got a run back in the sixth as the Mountain Lions strung three singles together. Skylor Murphy led off with a single to left and Jones added a hit through the right side before Cory Ewald drove home Royce Woolfolk, who pinch ran for Murphy, with his single through the left side. 

The Mountain Lions had a chance to score again in the seventh as they loaded up the bases. Brett Graczyk laced a one-out double to left-center field before Logan Worley and Woolfolk coaxed back-to-back walks; however, North Georgia wiggled out of further trouble as reliever Parker Morrison, who earned his eighth save, retired the next two batters.

North Georgia added two insurance runs in the eighth on a Perez double and Conner Corbitt single. 

Derrick Pickvet (3-3) earned the win for the Nighthawks, while Mat Szabo (4-3) took the loss.

Jones led the Mountain Lions with two hits.