AIKEN, S.C. – The University of North Georgia baseball team picked up an important Peach Belt Conference win with a 9-6 victory at USC Aiken Friday night. With the win, the Nighthawks moved to 29-14 on the year and 15-7 in PBC play and have won three consecutive games. 

The win is a big one for UNG because it keeps the Nighthawks in a tie for second place in the league with GCSU after the Bobcats took down Columbus State 5-1 Friday. 

Both UNG and GCSU sit a game and a half back of first place Lander and will square off next weekend in the final series of the regular season. The series which begins Friday, Apr. 26 could determine the PBC regular season winner or who will finish in second place and host a portion of the first round of the PBC Tournament. 

For the Nighthawks, the trip to Aiken, S.C. started on a high note thanks to a six-run second inning that propelled head coach Tom Cantrell's team to the win. 

The Pacers got on the board first in the game in the home half of the opening inning after a balk from Nighthawk starter, junior Dylan Noce.

In the second inning, freshman third baseman Kyle Robitzsch stepped up to the plate with one out and runners on first and second. He singled into right field to score sophomore second baseman Brady Skipper and tie the game.

Junior outfielder Josh Sosa followed with another single to quickly score sophomore outfielder Edwin Bowman IV and give UNG the lead. 

After a strikeout, the Nighthawks added four more runs in the inning as freshman outfielder Noah Darden grounded the ball to short with the bases loaded. Robitzsch raced home and beat the throw to make it 3-1. 

Then redshirt freshman Phillip Ard reached on an error from USC Aiken second baseman Bradley White II which allowed Sosa and sophomore center fielder Andrews Opata to score. 

The final run of the inning came in the next at bat as Skipper, the tenth UNG batter in the inning, singled to left to score Darden. 

The Pacers made it 6-3 in the bottom of the frame with back-to-back two out, RBI singles. 

The game held at 6-3 until Noce was pulled in the fifth inning after allowing a single and a walk despite getting the first out of the inning. Sophomore righty Matthew Heard took over on the hill but allowed a single and a triple in his first two batters as USC Aiken tied the contest at 6-6.

Ard came through in the clutch the next half inning. It started with a two out single from Darden to keep the inning alive and bring Ard to the plate. He roped a double to right center, untying the game as Darden scored from first. 

In the seventh, another error from the Pacers allowed two runs to score for the second time in the game. Junior catcher Bryson Stripling grounded the ball to third base and USC Aiken third baseman Kaden Usry made a great diving stop. His throw to first would've ended the inning but it was well off the mark allowing Robitzsch and Bowman to score from third and second respectively. 

The Pacers had their best chance to tie or take the lead in the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. They had the bases loaded with only one out and Usry at the plate. 

Usry grounded the ball to UNG sophomore shortstop Jace Bowen who had just entered the game at the start of the frame. Bowen flipped to Skipper at second who threw to Ard at first to successfully end the threat. 

In the ninth, sophomore right-handed reliever Jaret Bales received the ball and earned his second save of the season with a one-two-three inning that ended in back-to-back strikeouts. 

Due to impending inclement weather scheduled for Sunday, the two teams will finish the series Saturday, Apr. 20 with a doubleheader. Game on begins at 2 p.m. with game two scheduled to follow afterwards.