4-30-16
DAHLONEGA | Senior Sam Tidaback homered twice as the University of North Georgia baseball team defeated Emmanuel, 8-1, on Senior Night at Bob Stein Stadium. With the win, North Georgia improves to 28-19 in 2016.
Devin Gearhart got things going for the Nighthawks as he hit his second home run of the season off the flagpole in center field to put North Georgia on top, 1-0.
Neither team was able to push any runs across until the sixth inning when Tidaback hit his first bomb of the night, a solo shot over the scoreboard in right center that pushed the UNG lead to 2-0.
Gearhart earned his second RBI of the night in the seventh on a single to right field that scored Kevin Krupp and stretched the North Georgia lead out to 3-0.
After a Trent Jones homer in the eighth for the Lions, Tidaback led off a five-run eighth with his second homer of Senior Night, another solo shot to right field. Ryan Tomita earned a RBI shortly after when he was hit by a pitch and Trevor Samswas able to come across. The inning’s scoring ended on an Erick Delgado RBI single up the middle that pushed Taylor Jones across and gave the Nighthawks the 8-1 lead.
The ninth inning saw seniors Brandon Agar and Chip Fleming close out the game with Agar striking out two and Fleming recording the assist on the final out. Senior Taylor Keinat came on in relief in the seventh and struck out two in 1.1 innings.
NOTES
– Chris Cobb (5-2) earned the win after throwing 6.2 innings of four-hit shutout baseball. He struck out six and walked two.
– Gearhart and Delgado each finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI. Tidaback went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
– North Georgia has now won nine out of the last 10 over Emmanuel and sports an 18-3 advantage all-time over the Lions. The Nighthawks are now 9-1 all-time at home against Emmanuel.
NEXT UP
UNG and Emmanuel will square off in game two of the final regular-season series tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in Dahlonega.
