MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | The University of North Georgia swept a Peach Belt Conference baseball doubleheader from Georgia College & State University Saturday (Feb. 14) afternoon at John Kurtz Field.
No. 29 North Georgia used a dominant pitching performance from Kevin Cox to take the opener 7-1, and a big first inning to win the nightcap 9-6.
GCSU fell to 1-9 and 0-3 in PBC play, while UNG improved to 10-1 and 3-0. The Bobcats return Wednesday (Feb. 18) with a non-conference match-up against Southern Wesleyan University at 4 p.m. at John Kurtz Field.Â
Kyle Robitzsch got the scoring started for the Nighthawks, plating Ben Hamacher in the first inning of the opener. Evan Cowan and the Bobcats answered back in the third, as he drove in Tanner Patterson on a single.Â
North Georgia used a big fifth inning to capture the momentum as Hamacher and Cam Hodge singled in runners, with Hodge later scoring on a wild pitch for a 4-1 lead. Two more runs came in on a Robitzsch RBI base-hit, and Brody Yeomans drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk. Robitzsch drove in the final run of the contest on a single through the middle.Â
Cox (2-0) held the Bobcats to just three base-runners, all singles, striking out four. Jake Beaver (0-2) gave up four runs through 5.1 innings, picking up six strikeouts.Â
Cowan, Patterson, and Carson Phillips were the only Bobcats with hits.
The Nighthawks used a potent first inning to jump-ahead 8-0, scoring the first five runs all off of singles, and plating the final two runs with a double down the left field line from Skipper.Â
The GCSU bullpen held the Nighthawks in check, as GCSU plated two runs in the fourth from a double from Carson Vick and a single from Phillips, and the Bobcats struck for another in the eighth on a Ty Petrovich single.Â
Hunter Thompson hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to give UNG a 9-3 lead, and while the Bobcats put up some quality at-bats in the bottom of the ninth, as Cowan drove in one and Vick drove in a pair, the tying-run was stranded in the on-deck circle.Â
Andrew Duval (2-0) threw seven strong innings, giving up two runs and five hits, striking out 10. Tams Mullins (0-2) gave up the first seven runs in the contest, only getting two outs in the first, and getting one strikeout.Â
The GCSU bullpen pitched 8.1 innings in relief, only giving up two runs and getting 10 strikeouts between Gavyn Seitz, Owen Thomas, and Griffin Davis.Â
Carson Vick and Blake Wood each had a double.Â
About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.
