March 19, 2009

Game 1 | Game 2

CARROLLTON, GA – North Georgia started another winning streak Thursday afternoon, taking down West Georgia 10-0 in game one, before needing extra innings and a 9th inning home run to defeat the Wolves 4-3 and sweep a doubleheader in non-conference action.

The 3rd-ranked Saints have now won 17 of their last 18 games and have the third most wins in the nation as they improve to 25-3 on the season. West Georgia falls to 14-12 on the year.

In game one, North Georgia picked up an unearned run in the first inning before exploding for four runs on as many hits in the fourth frame. Kaelin Farrington drove home the first run of the inning with a double to left field, and Laura Voyles followed with a double of her own, this time to right field, as two more runs came around to make it 4-0. Courtney McGuire capped off the inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.

The fifth inning saw the Saints pound out four more hits, this time scoring five runs as North Georgia went on to a 10-0 victory. Farrington and Mcguire added RBI singles, while Leslee Smith drove in a pair of runs to put a lid on the five-run frame.

Sarah Phillips picked up another win, tossing all 5.0 innings and allowing two hits while striking out four.

Game two saw fewer runs and timely hitting take over as the Saints looked to sweep the doubleheader. North Georgia picked up right where they left off in game one as McGuire came to the plate in the first inning launched her ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot to score Voyles and give the Saints a 2-0 first-inning lead.

The Wolves responded in the fourth with a two run double from Erica Colee as Erica Sansenbach and Heather Crews scored on the play to tie the game 2-2.

Neither team was able to produce any offense after the fourth inning as the game went to the ninth still knotted at 2-2. With the Saints at the plate in the ninth, Hilary Cox came to the dish and unloaded her first collegiate home run to score Stephanie Farmakis and give North Georgia a 4-2 lead.

The Wolves added an unearned run the last of the ninth as the Saints held on to win and claim the doubleheader sweep.

Phillips (15-1) picked up her second victory of the day, coming on in relief to record four strikouts in 2.2 innings of work. Trisha Snider got the start and lasted 6.1 innings, and allowed three hits and two runs while walking four.

The long ball by McGuire in the first inning marks her fifth blast in the last seven days as the junior continues to lead the Peach Belt Conference in home runs.

The Saints will have Friday off before returning home to play Armstrong Atlantic at Haines & Carolyn Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The PBC doubleheader is set for 12-noon.