March 24, 2010

Game 1 | Game 2

DAHLONEGA, GA – The North Georgia softball team continued their perfect record just hours after being selected the nation’s top team for the fourth straight week, playing host to West Georgia and devouring the Wolves 11-0 and 8-0 in a pair of five-inning victories at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium.

North Georgia improves their record to 29-0 on the season, while matching their perfect mark with a 10-0 stint at home. West Georgia drops to 12-26 on the season as they return to Gulf South Conference action.

In game one, the Saints would score all the runs they would need in the first three frames, putting a five spot on the board in the first inning, before a four spot in the second inning and two more in the third gave North Georgia an 11-0 victory.

The Saints capped a five-run first inning with Pilar Harden’s first home run of the season, towing solo shot to left center to give North Georgia a 5-0 lead. Leslee Smith kept the scoring going in the second inning with a single to right field, sending Lauren Dykes and Laura Voyles racing home, while Hilary Cox and Katherine each provided RBI singles later in the frame to give North Georgia a commanding 9-0 second-inning advantage.

A two-run third inning proved to be enough offense for the Saints as Dykes continued her three-hit game with a single up the middle to bring Whitney Holman and Callie Fernandez home and give North Georgia an 11-0 victory.

Sara Phillips tossed 3.0 innings in the opener to grab the victory, not allowing a hit while striking out two, and Krysten Connelly came out of the pen for the final 2.0 innings, surrendering a pair of hits, but no runs to close the game.

Offense was harder to come by in game two as the Wolves kept the Saints off the scoreboard until the second inning when four hits led to as many runs to give North Georgia a 4-0 lead. Harden and Natasha Willemse notched back-to-back RBI singles to plate a pair of runs, and Kasey Knight followed with a single of her own, guiding a grounder up the middle to send Harden racing to the plate and cap the four-run frame.

The Saints added a pair of runs in each of the last two innings for the 8-0 victory in five innings. Fernandez drove home a run in the fourth with a single up the middle, and Voyles followed with a triple to right field to make it a 6-0 game.

The fifth inning proved to be the last as Katherine Martin drove in the first run of the frame with a double, and Jessica Skeels came on for the final at-bat of the game and lined a double left center to bring the clinching run to the plate in the 8-0 victory.

Phillips (23-0) was the winner in the finale, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing three hits and no runs, while striking out five and not walking a batter.

The Saints return to action on Thursday afternoon with possibly their biggest test of the season as 6th-ranked Alabama Huntsville travels to town for the much-anticipated doubleheader with the Chargers. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium.