DAHLONEGA – The No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team overtook Georgia College (GCSU) 13-6 in the first of a three-game series at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park Friday evening.

The Nighthawks (30-8, 11-2 Peach Belt) utilized four home runs to stave off a comeback from the Bobcats (18-18, 11-5 Peach Belt) in the win.

UNG got ahead early in the game with a big first inning after holding GCSU scoreless in the top of the frame.

The first eight batters reached base in the inning, leading to the scoring outburst. It started with a single from junior center fielder Sydnee Reaves who promptly scored from first thanks to an RBI single from freshman second baseman Jenna Miles.

Junior left fielder Natalie Ray then doubled to right and traded places with Miles as the freshman scored to make it 2-0.

Before the Bobcats could blink, freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles blasted her 13th home run of the season. The no-doubter that sailed way over the left field wall made it 4-0 just a few pitches into the game.

Later in the inning, senior shortstop Rylie Moody scored from first on a bases-loaded fielder's choice at bat from redshirt sophomore Tagen Levao-Maisonet. 

GCSU got a run on the board in the third, but Levao-Maisonet broke the game open in the bottom of the inning.

With two runners on and one out, the right fielder lifted a ball deep to right center field. It carried just enough to bounce on top of the wall and sail over for her third home run of the season. 

At 8-1, the Nighthawks were comfortably in control of the contest.

The comfort only grew when Ray singled in sophomore third baseman Journey Roberts later in the inning. One at bat later, Miles scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-1.

The Bobcats slowly chipped away at the lead though. After scoring a run in the third, they added two more with an RBI triple and single in consecutive at bats to make it 10-3.

Holding UNG scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, GCSU made it even closer with three runs in the top of the fifth including a two-run homer from Sydney Lancaster.

It was then time for the Nighthawks to continue with the home run party. 

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Ray tattooed her ninth bomb of the year to straight away center field. She leads the team in batting average this season at .441 and ranks second in homers and slugging percentage.

Just a few pitches later, Knowles did what she does best. The powerful freshman demolished a ball to almost the exact same spot as her teammate in the at bat prior. It sailed over the center field wall to make it a 12-6 game.

Knowles now has 14 home runs this season. That's the most in a single season for a freshman in the NCAA Division-II era (2006) in UNG program history. She's on pace for 19 home runs in the regular season alone which would tie the NCAA program record for most homers in a season among any player.

Reaves joined the offensive party in the sixth inning as she capped off UNG's scoring with an RBI double to center field to score Levao-Maisonet. Reaves was one of four Nighthawk batters with multiple hits on Friday.

The top four hitters in head coach Brooke O'Hair's lineup (Reaves, Miles, Ray, Knowles) each had multi-hit games led by Miles and Ray who went 3-for-5 and 3-for-4 respectively. 

However, it was Levao-Maisonet who led the way in offensive production as the second-year Nighthawk went 1-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored in the contest.

With the win and a subsequent loss from Flagler against USC Aiken, UNG sits alone atop the PBC standings at the moment. 

The Nighthawks will look to continue their winning ways as they conclude the series against the Bobcats tomorrow, Saturday, April 5 with a doubleheader. First pitch in game one from Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium is set for 12 p.m.