BLUFFTON, S.C. – The No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team split a road doubleheader at USC Beaufort (USCB) on Saturday.

The opener of the two-day, three-game series saw the Nighthawks (40-10, 19-4 Peach Belt) topple the Sand Sharks (28-23, 7-16) by a score of 7-3 in the first game but fall 7-5 in game two.

UNG, which already secured its 11th straight Peach Belt Conference Regular-season Championship last weekend, will finish the regular season on Sunday, April 27 with a standalone game at 12 p.m. to close out the series with USCB.

The Nighthawks will then return home and prepare to host the 2025 PBC Tournament at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park in Dahlonega May 2-4 as the top seed in the conference postseason bracket. 

Game one: Nighthawks def. Sand Sharks, 7-3
UNG jumped ahead early in game one of the series with an RBI single from freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles in the first inning.

USCB would take a lead, however, on a two-run single from Jaden Goodwin in the third inning.

A fourth-inning sacrifice fly from redshirt sophomore outfielder Tagen Levao-Maisonet tied the game, but the Sand Sharks went right back in front with a run of their own in the home half of the frame.

Trailing 3-2 in the sixth inning, sophomore third baseman Journey Roberts needed just one swing to flip the game on its head. 

She put UNG ahead 5-3 as she belted her second homer of the year over the center field wall. The three-run shot put the Nighthawks in control of the game in the late stages. 

UNG then cemented the 7-3 win in the top of the seventh with a pair of RBI doubles from Knowles and sophomore infielder Ava Lunsford. 

Game two: Sand Sharks def. Nighthawks, 7-5
UNG fell behind to USCB in the opener Saturday as the Sand Sharks got on the scoreboard first with an RBI single to left field from Jaden Goodwin. 

An infield single from junior Chloe Poss tied the game the next inning at 1-1 in the third inning, but USCB pulled back in front 4-1 with a three-run homer from Alyssa Rose in the bottom of the frame.

A wild pitch put the Sand Sharks firmly in the driver's seat in the fourth inning as another run crossed home plate to put USCB ahead 5-1

UNG then mustered a major fifth-inning rally to climb all the way back and reclaim the lead.

Junior outfielder Natalie Ray worked a walk to open the frame before advancing to third on a double from freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles. 

The defense then fell apart for the Sand Sharks as a wild pitch and error allowed both Ray and Knowles to score to make it 5-3.

After reaching first base on the run scoring error, Poss advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Another error put Levao-Maisonet on base as well, setting the table for junior first baseman Marycille Brumby.

The lefty slugger powered a double into center field, scoring both Poss and Levao-Maisonet to tie the game.

However, Goodwin struck again in the bottom of the sixth inning. This time it was a two-run homer that was UNG's undoing as her homer proved to be the difference in the two-run victory for the Sand Sharks.