DAHLONEGA – In a roller coaster day of emotions, the No. 2 University of North Georgia softball team split a doubleheader with Georgia College & State University. In doing so, with a win in game two, the Nighthawks clinched the Peach Belt Conference regular season championship for the 10th consecutive time in the last 11 seasons (the 2020 season had no champion after being canceled due to COVID-19). 

After rallying for an epic comeback on Wednesday to avoid a sweep against Alabama Huntsville, the Nighthawks returned to conference play with a buzz around the program. The magic number stood at one as UNG only needed to win one of its final six PBC games to earn the outright regular season title. 

However, the Nighthawk celebration was forced to wait an extra game after Georgia College ambushed the UNG pitching staff in game one.

With the win in game two, the Nighthawks will look to take the series at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park on Sunday, Apr. 14 on Senior Day against the Bobcats. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

Game 1: Bobcats def. Nighthawks, 12-3 (5 Inn.)

Senior Kristen Davis started in the circle in the opener for head coach Mike Davenport's team. In the first seven pitches of the game, Davis quickly fell behind the Bobcat offense. 

After a single and an error, freshman catcher Karlie Gutierrez roped a three-run home run to left center on the first pitch she saw to make it 3-0 before an out was recorded. 

In the second inning, Georgia College added three more runs. Davis started the frame with a strikeout in the first at bat but a walk and single followed before she was pulled from the game. 

Senior Delaney Heaberlin took over and failed to find more success than Davis. In her first at bat, Heaberlin faced Gutierrez who miraculously belted another three-run home run to make it 6-0. 

In the third inning, Gutierrez was joined by the rest of her team in the offensive contributions with a six run inning. 

Gutierrez had an RBI double herself and was promptly brought home on a home run from Bobcat first baseman Jessica Owens. 

Finally the scoring ended for Georgia College when junior Aniston Wright handled the ball in the circle for UNG. 

Wright did not allow a base runner the rest of the game for the Bobcats, however the damage was already done and was too large for the Nighthawks to mount a comeback. 

That was not for a lack of effort, though. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning, sophomore first baseman Marycille Brumby tattooed her third home run of the year as she deposited the ball into the parking lot beyond right field. 

Just a few pitches later, senior third baseman Gracie Mixson also connected on a homer, her fourth of the year to make it 12-2. 

UNG got another run later in the inning thanks to a line drive double from junior catcher Sadye Johnson who roped a ball off the wall in center field to score a run. 

However, the Nighthawks would get no more runs than that, falling 12-3 in five innings. The loss marked the first time UNG had lost via the run rule since a road loss to No. 17 Auburn Montgomery last year. Saturday was the first time the Nighthawks lost by the run rule at home since 2014 in a 9-1 loss to No. 3 Alabama Huntsville. 

Game 2: Nighthawks def. Bobcats, 9-5

The Nighthawks struck first in game two, thanks again to Brumby.

Her RBI double in the second inning brought home junior infielder Grayson Perry to give UNG an early 1-0 lead.

The Bobcats tied the game in the next inning with a sacrifice fly from sophomore infielder Emily Hobbs.

The Nighthawks poured on the decisive offensive attack in the third and fourth innings to follow. 

Senior catcher Georgia Blair collected her team leading 42nd RBI with a double in the third. 

Then in the fourth, sophomore second baseman Katie Ward reached on an infield single to bring home sophomore outfielder Caroline Branch. In the next at bat, a stolen base from sophomore infielder Madison Cosgrove baited a bad throw allowing redshirt freshman infielder Tagen Laveo Maisonet to score from third on the error.

Cosgrove scored a few pitches later on another error that helped freshman outfielder Kaitlyn Johnson reach first base. 

Johnson would eventually come home on a single from senior center fielder Mallory Parker as the fourth Nighthawk run in the inning, giving UNG a 6-1 lead.

After scoring a run in the fifth, Georgia College brought home a pair of runs in the sixth to make it 6-4.

The Nighthawks got some key insurance runs in their last offensive inning with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. 

Parker singled to center field once again, bringing home Johnson and Cosgrove to extend the lead.

Blair scored in the next at bat on a sacrifice fly from senior outfielder Madison Simmons, giving UNG a 9-4 lead. 

After getting a run back in the top of the seventh to make it 9-5, the Bobcats threatened to stage a comeback late in the game.

However, senior pitcher Tybee Denton stranded a pair of Georgia College runners and closed the door, ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts to seal the title for UNG. 

Denton threw her 17th complete game in the victory on Saturday, racking up her nation-leading 21st win on the year. She struck out nine batters and allowed just five hits in another stellar performance.