No. 1 North Georgia rules the weekend

Matthew Brown, The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga.
Updated ·6 min read

Apr. 18—The No. 1 softball team of not only the Peach Belt Conference but all of NCAA Division II visited the Peeler Complex in Milledgeville over the weekend. In three games, a possible 21 innings of at-bats for the Georgia College & State University Bobcats, those No. 1 North Georgia Nighthawks allowed runs in only two.

North Georgia pulled off the steady comeback, pitched a near no-hitter and showed it had power from just about every spot in the batting order to sweep the Bobcats (10-7, 6-0, 4-1) and maintain its one-game lead in the Peach Belt with a record of 22-2, 44-4 overall. This sweep came right after a weekend when the Nighthawks showed some vulnerability losing two out of three in the PBC to Columbus State at home. Columbus, on a six-game conference winning streak, is second at 21-3.

Georgia College dropped below .500 in PBC play at 9-12, good for fifth place. The Bobcats have six conference games remaining starting with three on the road this upcoming weekend at South Carolina-Beaufort. Georgia Southwestern will come to the Peeler Complex for weather make-up games April 24-25.

Game 1

2023 has been a bounce-back season for Georgia College softball already with 11 more wins (23-19) than all of last season, and the Bobcats were looking to show that to North Georgia, which won two 9-1 run-rule shortened finals in Dahlonega during a sweep last season.

A near 'perfect game' is required, however, to beat the No. 1 team in the nation.

Georgia College was ready to sit down in the dugout after a quick top of the first inning of Game 1 that featured catcher Lauren Sommerer throwing out Jolie Lester in her attempt to steal second base. All it took was a catch of an infield pop, but that softball hit the ground keeping the inning alive.

Pitcher Jana Shellhorse walked the next batter, and Olivia Sinquefield drilled a ball to centerfield. It was tipped and hit the grass for a two-run triple.

Before it was finally over, North Georgia pulled off a double-steal to lead 3-0.

Down at the No. 8 spot in the lineup, Nighthawk catcher Georgia Blair (transfer from Virginia Tech) led off the top of the second with a long home run.

As stated, Georgia College only scored in two innings of the three weekend games. Of the eight runs overall, seven came in the bottom of the second of Game 1. Ten Bobcats went to the plate, four of them getting a hit and two receiving a base for free. One of those freebies was for Divina Checo, hit by a pitch as the leadoff batter.

MacKenzie Martin hit a 3-2 pitch off the first-baseman's mitt for a single, and MacKenzie Hoffman drew a walk to load the bags. Getting the start as the designated player, freshman Stephanie Condland went to right field for an RBI single.

The key AB for Georgia College in the second was from Sommerer. The shortstop for NG couldn't handle her chopper, so all hands were safe, including one at home. North Georgia quickly picked up two outs while still leading 4-2, but another hot-shot at shortstop — this one by freshman Emily Hobbs — resulted in another run.

The ninth batter was the best the Bobcats offer, Jessica Owens, who was very motivated to atone for her first-inning error. After a long at-bat, the .355 hitter deposited her eighth home run of the season. It was also her second grand slam in as many PBC series, giving her 36 RBI (none of which are among the top 10 in the PBC).

Ahead 7-4 after two complete, things rested on Shellhorse and the Bobcat defense. That's because, from the third to the seventh, Georgia College had just two more hits (Hoffman in the bottom of the third and Kam Caldwell in the bottom of the sixth). Sophie Mooney of North Georgia, a Georgia State transfer, pitched four innings of relief and struck out seven while issuing one walk.

The Nighthawks pulled to within one run, 7-6, in the top of the fourth as Gracie Mixson led off with a double. She was still on base with two outs, then Mooney and Hannah Forehand hit consecutive doubles. Hoffman's miracle catch in centerfield ended the frame with two in scoring position.

Shellhorse also stranded two at second and third without giving up the lead in the fifth. In the sixth, Mooney — the PBC's leader in hits — singled on the first pitch, and that ended Shellhorse's outing. Kaitlyn Anders took over, and Caldwell started a big 5-3-5 double play. Though NG put two more batters on, Anders struck out pinch hitter Katie Ward for the first whiff by Bobcat pitching.

One more inning remained, and it was all North Georgia needed for a winning rally. Blair led off and doubled, and Mixson singled in the tying run. Shelby Jones pitched for GCSU after Anders hit a batter, and Checo turned yet another big double play by the Bobcat infield.

But then Mooney singled and Forehand, on a 3-2 count, hit a ball where GCSU could not get a force out. That resulted in the lead run (8-7), and Sinquefield provided plenty of insurance on a two-run double. She had four RBI and four hits.

Game 2

After Senior Day ceremonies, Game 2 Saturday had a much quieter beginning with Bobcat senior Montana Ledbetter paired in the circle with North Georgia's Tybee Denton. It was quiet until the third inning when yet another dropped infield pop led to multiple runs for the Nighthawks. The visitors had two in scoring position when Auburn transfer Madi Perry drove in a run, Mooney walked and Forehand homered for three more off the centerfielder's glove.

North Georgia added runs in the fifth on Sinquefield's RBI hit and the sixth to lead 6-0.

The story, though, was Denton. Georgia College had one baserunner through six innings when Hoffman reached on an error in the home fourth. Denton did not walk a batter, struck out four and hit Owens with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Condland broke up the no-hitter with a clean single and Ashley Schell, one of the four seniors, reached on an infield hit. Denton's fourth strikeout ended the game.

Game 3

On Sunday, Denton got the start again for North Georgia but wasn't nearly untouchable. In fact, Hoffman singled to start the top of the first. But it was still a quiet beginning overall with Jones opening with four shutout innings. Schell, starting at third base for the injured Caldwell, was part of a third to first and back to third double play in the second inning.

Scoring for only the second inning in the whole series, the Bobcats took a 1-0 lead in the home fourth as Condland's grounder with two outs at up the NG shortstop.

Georgia College, though, had to deal with Mooney again in relief. Mooney struck out six in 3 1/3 shutout innings. Hoffman had the only hit against her in the seventh.

To complete the sweep, North Georgia played long ball in the top of the fifth. Sinquefield and Mariah Wicker hit solo home runs turning it into a 2-1 game. Just like in Game 2, the Nighthawks added single runs in the sixth and seventh.