DAHLONEGA, Ga. – With more than a week elapsed between the start and the conclusion of the game, the visiting UNCP softball team dropped the first game of the doubleheader, 8-0, to Peach Belt Conference opponent No. 13 North Georgia on Thursday evening in six innings.

UNCP (14-28, 3-12 PBC) received one hit from Brea Hartley, Ashley Harrell, Holly Berry and Kellie Van Dyke apiece. North Georgia (36-7, 10-3) posted 10 hits as Hilary Cox and Karlie Gillam each notched two hits, while Cox led the team with four RBI.

Jamie Burwell (4-6) started the first three innings for the Lady Braves as she gave up six hits and five earned runs but struck out five before Natalie Klemann entered into the middle for the final 2-2/3 innings. Klemann awarded four hits and gave up three unearned runs. Jessica Coan and Melissa Dickie (13-0) split equal time in the circle as each went three innings and combined for eight strikeouts.

On April 5, the squads began game one with North Georgia retiring four batters in the first three innings with three hits before the Saints scored two runs on consecutive hits in the bottom of the third. Inclement weather occurring in the top of the fourth forced the game to be postponed for a week and resulted in the Saints capturing three runs in the fourth. Tiffanie Burns dropped a three-run homer in the fourth to put the Saints up by five runs. 

The Lady Braves registered its final hit of the game in the sixth as Berry singled to the pitcher. The Saints used a single and an error on the second baseman to put runners on first and second before consecutive doubles to right centerfield scored the final three runs to end the game up by eight runs in the sixth.