BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 9 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team swept Union in a doubleheader at the Thunderbolt Complex at Shea Brothers Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. Wednesday evening. 

The Nighthawks (21-4, 6-0 Peach Belt) have now won 14 straight games which tied for the second-longest active streak in the country. 

In game one, UNG defeated Union (5-19, 3-8 Gulf South) 7-0 behind a powerful four-run sixth inning to close the door on the Bulldogs.

The Nighthawks repeated that same score in game two behind three home runs on offense and a stellar pitching performance in the circle from junior Chloe Poss.

Now UNG gears up for a weekend series at home against PBC foe Georgia Southwestern (GSW). The series with the Hurricanes was originally scheduled as having one game to be played on Friday followed by a doubleheader finale on Saturday. With impending weather in the northeast Georgia area, the doubleheader in the series will instead be played on Friday, March 14 starting at 4 p.m. The lone game on Saturday, March 15 is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Game 1: Nighthawks def. Bulldogs 7-0
Junior center fielder Sydnee Reaves and freshman second baseman Jenna Miles threw a one-two punch in the first inning with a pair of doubles to quickly put UNG on the board 1-0.

The score remained that way until the fourth inning as both pitchers settled in. Nighthawk senior starting pitcher Angelina Badalament retired six straight batters at one point as she shut down the Union offense.

In the bottom of the fourth, Rylie Moody rounded the bases without the ball leaving the playing field as she smoked a ball to right. The speedy senior shortstop scored on a defensive error, marking her second little league home run of the season.

Moody would homer again later during the sixth inning. This time she jogged around the bases as her deep fly to right center field sailed over the wall for a three-run bomb to make it 5-0.

Junior first baseman Marycille Brumby then added a pair of insurance runs as she drilled her second home run of the year to straight away center field.

Badalament then closed the door in the seventh by retiring the side as she recorded her first complete-game shutout of the season. 

Game 2: Nighthawks def. Bulldogs 7-0
Game two was more of the same from the opener as the UNG offense continued to roll while the pitching shined.

In the bottom of the first, an error, a single and a bunt single brought a run home to open the scoring for the Nighthawks. With nobody out and UNG's best power hitter walking to the plate, trouble was on the way for Union. Freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles stepped up to the plate and did not shy away from the moment. 

The rookie crushed the ball over the left field wall for a three-run blast to quickly make it 4-0. Knowles is now tied for the league lead with eight homers on the year. She leads the conference with 32 RBI as well.

The early lead gave Poss' confidence in the circle as she quickly got into a groove. The pitcher struck out nine batters in the first six innings as Union could only muster three hits in that span.

Redshirt sophomore Tagen Levao-Maisonet padded the lead with her first home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning, a solo shot to right center. 

Holding a five-run advantage, sophomore infielder Ava Lunsford then connected on the first home run of her collegiate career. The two-run blast from the Western Kentucky transfer sealed the game at 7-0 for the Nighthawks.

Poss finished the game in the top of the seventh with two more strikeouts. She finished the game with seven complete innings, four scattered hits, zero runs, zero walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts. It was by far her best pitching performance of her career.