AMERICUS - The Georgia Southwestern baseball team was swept in a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader against No. 12 North Georgia on Saturday afternoon at Hurricane Stadium. A pair of Ryan Tomita home runs in the opener guided the Nighthawks to a 6-1 win and Erick Delgado broke a 1-1 game in the nightcap with a three-run blast that propelled UNG to an 11-2 victory.
The Hurricanes suffered their first two defeats of the season and dropped to 9-2 overall, 0-2 in the PBC while North Georgia improved to 8-2 overall, 2-0 in conference play heading into Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.
GAME 1: GSW 1, NORTH GEORGIA 6
Ryan Tomita hit a pair of solo home runs in the opener to lead UNG to a 6-1 win.
The Nighthawks scored four runs over the opening three innings to put GSW in an early hole.
Southwestern starting pitcher Earl Dupree (2-1) suffered his first loss of the spring after four innings of work. Dupree allowed four runs, walked four and struck out two. Coty Graham had only one pitch he wished he could have back, the one Tomita put over the wall in the fifth. It was Graham's only hit allowed over three innings and the only run scored. Matt Hubbard covered the final two frames for GSW, allowed one run and struck out three.
Zach Barron singled in eighth inning and later scored from third on an infield bobble for the Hurricanes lone run in the game.
Evan Alderman had two hits for GSW.
Steven Tomlinson went 3-for-4 and scored two runs for UNG.
Nighthawks starter Brandon Agar (2-0) threw 103 pitches over eight innings, scattered six hits, walked one and struck out nine. Derrick Pickvet tossed a scoreless ninth.
GAME 2: GSW 2, NORTH GEORGIA 11
GSW grabbed the early lead in the nightcap when Brandon Weaver belted a two-out double down the right field line to score Will Redding in the second inning.
North Georgia tied the game in the third.
A walk and a hit batter came back to haunt the Hurricane pitching staff in the fourth inning as Erick Delgado brought both runners around to score when he cracked a two-out, three-run home run and put North Georgia ahead 4-1.
UNG led 8-1 in the seventh inning before the Hurricanes' Zach Barron took out a little frustration and sent a solo blast over the left field wall for his second home run of the season.
North Georgia closed out the scoring with three runs in the ninth.
Southwestern starting pitcher Jordan McIlwain (2-1) suffered his first loss of the spring after four innings of work. McIlwain's numbers matched Game 1 GSW starter Earl Dupree as he allowed four runs, walked four and struck out two. Chad Adkins gave up four runs in three innings on the hill. Justin Barnes threw a scoreless eighth and Jarrod Crum pitched the ninth.
Redding turned in a 3-for-4 performance at the plate to lead the Hurricanes.
Connor Hoover was 3-for-6 with one RBI for UNG. Devin Gearhart, Sam Tidaback and Steven Tomlinson had two hits apiece.
Nighthawks starter Steven Bower (3-1) threw 100 pitches over seven innings, surrendered nine hits, walked two and struck out four. Chris Cobb closed out the afternoon with two scoreless frames.