2/11/2017 | Baseball | Box Score

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – A walk off homerun by Connor Hoover in the 13^th inning lifted the No. 27 University of North Georgia baseball team to an 8-7 win over top-ranked Nova Southeastern on Saturday afternoon at Bob Stein Stadium.

The Sharks got on the board first with a double to right-centerfield in the top of the first inning.

The Nighthawks quickly responded with a three-run bottom of the first inning on three hits, a walk, and an error. The inning was kickstarted by a RBI-double by Michael Gouge and followed by a RBI-single by Trevor Sams. UNG’s third run was plated on a fielding error by the Sharks.

Nova Southeastern cut the deficit to one run on a RBI-single, but just like the bottom of the first inning, the Nighthawks responded with a few runs of their own, when Gouge struck again with a two-run homer to leftfield.

After single runs by Nova Southeastern in the third, fifth and sixth innings knotted the game, a RBI-single by Devin Gearhart gave the Nighthawks a 6-5 lead after six complete.

A Shark homerun squared the game up again in the top of the seventh, but a sacrifice fly by Sams again pushed the Nighthawks ahead, 7-6, in the bottom of the frame.

The top of the eighth saw NSU tie the game yet again on a squeeze play and it would be five innings before Hoover’s no-doubter would clinch the series win.

NOTES
– Michael Gouge led the Nighthawk offense with an impressive 4-5 day that included three runs scored and three RBI’s.

– Devin Gearhart also added a four-hit day in seven plate appearances.

– Logan Burt snagged his first win of the season on the mound after tossing two and two-thirds innings of work out of the bullpen allowing just a single hit. The Nighthawk bullpen threw 11 innings of work scattering eight hits while allowing just three earned runs.

– North Georgia’s season-opening six-game winning streak matches the NCAA-era record for best start set back in 2011.

– The top four spots in both lineups accounted for 20 of the game’s 26 hits.

– Andres Perez recorded his second career multiple hit game with a 2-6 day.

– Dylan Woods was the top offensive performer for the defending National Champions as he hit safely in three of his five plate appearances.

NEXT
The Nighthawks (6-0) will look to complete the series sweep tomorrow, Feb. 12, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.