DAHLONEGA – Day one of the 2025 Mizuno Invitational was a successful one for the No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team as the Nighthawks swept the competition with wins over Lake Erie and West Florida (UWF) in its first home games of the season at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park.

The Nighthawks improved to 5-1 on the season thus far after taking down the Storm 15-0 (5 Inn.) and the Argonauts (5-3).

All three teams will rematch tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 9 in the final day of the 2025 Mizuno Invitational.

Game 1: Nighthawks def. Storm, 15-0 (5 Inn.)
In the first home game under the direction of new head coach Brooke O'Hair, the Nighthawks put on a show with a 15-run win in just five innings in front of a jubilant crowd at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium. 

The scoring started early for UNG as junior outfielder Sydnee Reaves reached base with a walk and quickly got into scoring position as she stole second base.

The Nighthawks developed a pattern over the next four at bats. Freshman infielder Jenna Miles singled to left to score Reaves and replaced her spot at second base on the throw to home plate.

Miles then swapped places with junior first baseman Marycille Brumby as Brumby roped a double off the wall in center field to make it 2-0.

Brumby was replaced by freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles in the next at bat as she scored on Knowles' double to left field.

A third straight double for UNG came from sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Johnson who plated Knowles to make it a 4-0 game.

Johnson scored later on a sacrifice fly from senior transfer and starting pitcher Angelina Badalament. 

The two-way star had an outstanding in the circle and at the plate for UNG.

As a pitcher, Badalament shut down Lake Erie for three innings as she did not allow a hit while recording four strikeouts. Badalement led the charge for a combined no-hitter from the UNG pitching staff as sophomore transfer Caroline Conner closed out the final two innings of the game in hitless fashion.

UNG kept the scoring going with three more runs in the second inning on singles from junior outfielder Natalie Ray, Brumby and Johnson.

In the third inning, Reaves boasted a rarity at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium; a triple. The lefty hitter turned on a fastball and rocketed it down the right field line deep into the corner of foul territory. Reaves' speed placed her on third base in no time. 

She came around to score an unearned run in the next at bat as Miles reached on the error. 

With a 10-0 lead, Knowles added to the offensive onslaught with her second hit of the day as she brought in two runs with a double to right field.

Knowles then scored on a single from senior shortstop Rylie Moody to make it 13-0 Nighthawks.

UNG added its final two runs of the game on a bases loaded walk in the fourth inning as freshman outfielder Kayla Berry was credited with her first career RBI. 

Sophomore Ansley Watson completed the scoring as she reached on a fielder's choice to bring in sophomore transfer Ava Lunsford.

Game 2: Nighthawks def. Argonauts, 5-3
In UNG's second game of the 2025 Mizuno Invitational, it would take a comeback effort to defeat UWF and move to 5-1 on the year.

The Argonauts scored all their runs in the first inning on a two-run home run from Emma Brice and an RBI single from Kyndal Cornelius.

A scoreless first inning for the Nighthawks gave way to a three-run second inning as UNG tied the game at 3-3.

Redshirt sophomore Tagen Levao-Maisonet brought in Moody for the first run of the game with a single to right field.

Reaves continued her good day a few at bats later with a two-run single to right field as Badalement and Levao-Maisonet crossed home plate.

Badalament took over in the circle in the first inning in an effort to halt the UWF offense. She did just that in the third inning. With the game tied at 3-3, Badalement struck out two hitters in a one-two-three inning to keep the Argonauts at bay.

She then flipped the script on the game in the bottom of the inning. With Johnson on first base after a single, Badalament crushed her first home run of the season over the wall in left center field to make it a 5-3 game. It was her first home run of the season. 

Badalament then maneuvered through the UWF lineup over the next four innings as she allowed only three hits and struck out three more batters to seal the win.