Wednesday, February 22, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall, Sports Information Assistant

SAINTS SWEEP LANDER IN PEACH BELT PLAY
Skeels wins nightcap with walk-off two-run double

Dahlonega, GA – North Georgia College and State University used a two-run double off the right field fence by Jessica Skeels to cap a four-run seventh and seal a come from behind 5-4 victory in nightcap over Lander University. In the opener Laura Voyles pounded out four RBI’s in rout to an 8-1 victory and series sweep.

In the opening game, Lander (8-8, 3-3) jumped on the board first in their opening at-bat when Natalie Smith raced home on an error to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead. Not to be outdone, the Saints came right back in the bottom of the inning and tied the game 1-1 on a single by Courtney McGuire to plate Voyles.

In the second inning North Georgia (9-1, 4-0) would strike again when Voyles came to the plate with the bases jammed and tripled over the right fielders head to score three and give the Saints a 4-1 lead they would never relinquish.

The Saints would add to the lead in the fourth on a team-leading 15th RBI off the bat of Voyles that scored Page Raynor. Whitney Propes extended the lead to 6-1 as she raced to plate on a passed ball to complete the two run inning.

The Saints got RBI hits from Skeels and Raynor scored two more runs in the fifth and gave the home team an 8-1 win in game one.

Andrea Moss (5-0) picked up the win for North Georgia as she went the distance tossing seven innings of three-hit ball while striking out nine and walking one.

Lander’s Ashlea Burdette was tagged with the loss in her six innings of work. She allowed six earned runs on eleven hits.

In game two, the Bearcats jumped out on top again in the first off an RBI single from the bat of Burdette. The hit scored Heather Bishop and gave the visiting team an early 1-0 lead. Lander would pad the lead two hitters later as Brittany Wallace hit a sacrifice fly to deep left and Burdette tagged from third and slid safely in under a perfect throw from Krista Bess for a 2-0 advantage.

The Saints got on the board in the third inning when Voyles continued her big day and raced home on a throwing error following a strikeout to make the score 2-1 after three innings.

In the fifth inning the Saints had a golden opportunity to tie the game. The bases would have been loaded following a walk to Grimm, but Cobb left third early to record the first out of the inning. McGuire followed with a groundout, and Skeels put a lid on the inning with dribbler back to the pitcher to end the Saints rally and keep the score 2-1.

Lander would add two more runs in the seventh before North Georgia would get the last word.

The Saints last chance in the seventh saw the team load the bases before Candace Shubert doubled home two runs to cut the Bearcats lead to one at 4-3. After McGuire walked the heroics were set up for Skeels who doubled in the game winning runs, giving the Saints a 5-4 win and series sweep.

Propes (2-1) picks up the win in relief after going five innings and giving up five hits and two runs while striking out seven Bearcats.   

Austin Murray picks up the tough loss after going six plus innings and giving up five runs (four earned) and allowing five hits and seven walks.

North Georgia returns to the diamond on Tuesday February 27, as they host West Georgia for a doubleheader starting at 1 pm.

-NGCSU-

Box Score (Game One)
Box Score (Game Two)

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