DAHLONEGA – The No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team launched a myriad of home runs in a doubleheader against Georgia College (GCSU) on Saturday in a doubleheader sweep at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park.

The Nighthawks (32-8, 13-2 Peach Belt) jumped out to an early lead in game one and held on for an 18-11 victory over the Bobcats (18-20, 11-7 Peach Belt).

In game two, UNG fell behind 3-2 early but scored nine runs in the third and fourth innings to come away with an 11-3 (5 Inn.) victory.

With their fourth conference sweep of the year, the Nighthawks sit firmly in third place in the conference, three games ahead of second-place Flagler.

UNG now looks ahead to a neutral site doubleheader on Tuesday, April 8 against Lee. The twin billing will take place at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. as game one is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

Game 1: Nighthawks def. Bobcats, 18-11
Despite a lone run in the first inning from GCSU, the Nighthawks ran to an early lead in the opener of the doubleheader on Saturday.

The first three batters reached base in the bottom of the first inning, setting up a bases loaded situation for UNG's best home run hitter in freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles.

Knowles did not shy away from the moment as she launched her 15th homer of the year over the left field wall. The grand slam made it 4-1 in favor of UNG before an out was recorded.

The Nighthawks were not done scoring in the inning. Redshirt sophomore right fielder Tagen Levao-Maisonet later ripped an RBI double to center field to make it 5-1.

Then junior center fielder Sydnee Reaves came to the plate for her second at bat of the inning. The Ashland, Ala. native scorched a ball past the right fielder and raced over to third base for a 2 RBI triple.

Reaves was then brought in by senior shortstop Rylie Moody who singled to center field to make it 8-1.

UNG kept the offense rolling in the second inning with another five runs. Reaves added another two RBI in her at bat as she singled to center with two outs. Moody followed once more with another base hit to left that plated Levao-Maisonet to make it 13-1.

Trailing by 12 runs, GCSU was on the brink of a run-rule loss in the fifth inning. With one out, the Bobcats went on a sudden rally to score seven runs and keep their hopes alive.

A sixth-inning home run from Caroline Pollock then made it just a two-run game at 13-11. GCSU was suddenly back in the game.

Then the Nighthawks woke up and shut down any hopes of a Bobcat comeback in the home half of the sixth.

Reaves posted her fifth RBI of the day with a single to make it 14-11. Then junior outfielder Natalie Ray roped a double to left that scored Reaves.

Junior pitcher Chloe Poss joined in on the fun with a two-run double before sophomore second baseman Ava Lunsford also doubled to bring Poss home. 

With five runs in the inning, UNG wilted the spirits of a GCSU team that was on the precipice of a miraculous comeback, ultimately coming away with the seven-run win.

Game 2: Nighthawks def. Bobcats, 11-3 (5 Inn.)
While game one had a number of rallies from both teams, game two was headlined by the long ball. 

In the first inning, Knowles blasted her second home run of the day to give her team an early 2-0 lead. 

The Bobcats took the lead back with three runs in the second inning, but it would be their only offensive production in the series finale.

Conversely, UNG kept it going in the third inning.

Moody used one swing to snatch the lead right back with a two-run homer to left center, her eighth of the season.

Two batters later, Knowles stepped up again. After having already set the freshman single-season home run record, Knowles has set her sights on the overall single-season record in the program. 

For the second time in the game and third time on the day, Knowles blasted another bomb. This one was a laser beam that snuck over the wall in left center field. The two-run shot made it 6-3 and gave Knowles a whopping 17 homers on the season. 

In the three games against the Bobcats, Knowles went 7-for-9 at the plate with five home runs. She crossed home plate seven times herself and batted in 11 runners. 

Knowles now leads the nation in home runs this season. Her 17 blasts are tied for the third-most in a single season in the NCAA Division-II era (2006) in program history. She is now chasing the program record of 19 homers in a year. She's on pace for nearly 21 home runs in the regular season alone.

Junior first baseman Marycille Brumby joined the home run party as she drilled her fifth of the year with a solo shot in the fourth inning. 

Then Reaves felt left out, so she simply detonated the softball and endangered a number of cars in the parking lot beyond right field. Her two-run blast made it 9-3 with one out in the fourth. 

UNG added its final runs in the victory as Lunsford came up clutch with two outs. The sophomore poked a single to left field to plate two runs and put the Nighthawks in front by eight runs. 

Within the parameters of the eight-run rule, UNG retired the Bobcats in order in the top of the fifth to end the game.