PBC YEARBOOK
Softball
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North Georgia Wins PBC Softball Tournament!
MILLEDGEVILLE, GA – Behind a complete-game two-hitter from tournament MVP Courtney Poole, the top-seeded North Georgia Nighthawks won the 2016 PBC softball tournament 8-0 over seventh-seeded USC Aiken on Saturday in Milledgeville. Georgia College served as host of the event.
The tournament title is the third in a row for North Georgia and sixth in the last eight years. The Nighthawks( 50-6) also receive the PBC’ s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. USC Aiken( 29-20) reached the championship game for the first time since 2009 and became the first seven seed to play in the championship game.
The two teams were scoreless through two but UNG broke through in the third on a solo home run from Hannah McSwain. Stephanie Hartness then singled with the bases empty, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before being brought home on Meredith Heyer’ s single. Heyer later scored herself on a Jessica Finch single.
The three runs was more than enough support for Poole( W, 49-2), the reigning national player of the year and PBC Pitcher of the Year. Poole allowed only two hits in the contest, one in the second and another in the sixth. After throwing a no-hitter against Francis Marion in Friday’ s quarterfinal, Poole completed the tournament with a 3-0 mark and eight hits allowed. In Saturday’ s championship, she struck out nine and finished the game with only 70 pitches thrown.
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UNG added two more runs in the fifth as Heyer again drove in Hartness and Finch again drove in Heyer. UNG closed out the game with three more runs in the sixth as Heyer’ s bases-loaded triple ended the game.
Taylor Morgan( L, 17-13) took the loss for USC Aiken, going 2.2 innings. Sarah Montei and Magan Thrower had the two hits for the Pacers.
Heyer finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs for North Georgia. Hartness also went 3-for-4 with three runs scored while Finch was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs..
Five PBC Softball Teams to Play in NCAA Tournament
Y E A R S
INDIANAPOLIS, IND – Five Peach Belt Conference softball teams learned on Monday morning that they will compete for a national championship as the NCAA released its tournament bracket from Indianapolis. North Georgia and Armstrong will each serve as hosts in the Southeast Region with play beginning on Thursday, March 5. Georgia College, USC Aiken and Young Harris will also play in the tournament.
The five PBC teams in the region ties the conference record for the most league teams to advance. The PBC has sent five teams on four previous occasions, the last in 2012.
The NCAA postseason appearance is the ninth consecutive for the Nighthawks and marks the seventh time the team has hosted a NCAA regional in the past eight seasons. Currently ranked fifth in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association( NFCA) NCAA Division
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