DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Eitan Maoz's RBI double in the top of the second gave visiting and third-ranked UNCP an early 2-0 lead, but 26th-ranked North Georgia rallied for six unanswered runs, including a four-run seventh inning, to knot up the weekend series with a 6-2 win over the Braves on Saturday evening at Bob Stein Stadium.

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for UNCP (12-2, 3-1 PBC), while North Georgia (8-3, 1-1) won for the seventh time in its last eight outings. The two squads will play the series rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Dahlonega, Ga.

Josh Haley walked twice and scored a pair of runs on a perfect 2-for-2 hitting line for the Braves who matched a season-low with just five hits in the contest. Travis Naraine walked and scored a pair of runs on a 2-for-3 plate exhibition for the Saints, who also got a home run from Dustin Carpenter (1-for-2, 2 R).

Patrick McMahon (1-1) took the mound to begin the seventh for UNCP and saddled the loss after yielding two hits, a pair of walks and two earned runs despite not recording an out. Starter Jordan DeLoatch, who struck out three and allowed just three hits in six innings of work, exited the game aftet the sixth with a 2-1 lead. Jesse Coxwell (3-0) grabbed the win for North Georgia allowed just four hits and two earned runs in seven innings from the hill for the hosts. He also walked six and struck out one.

Brad Bridgeman's RBI single in the first gave UNCP the early advantage, but the Braves would pad their lead out to a pair of runs on Maoz's one-out double two innings later. North Georgia halved its deficit on Carpenter's leadoff homere in the fifth, but the Saints blew the game wide open by sending its entire batting order to the plate in the four-run seventh inning.

The Saints would utilize an ill-timed fielding error by the Braves to plate another insurance run in the eighth.