The University of North Georgia softball team will host Lincoln Memorial University in an NCAA Division II Super Regional from May 19-20 after winning its half of the Southeast Regional with three consecutive victories in Hickory, North Carolina.
UNG and Lincoln Memorial are familiar with each other as UNG defeated the Railsplitters in the final two games of the 2021 Southeast Regional in Dahlonega, Georgia, to reach the eight-team NCAA softball championship in Denver, Colorado.
The third-seeded Nighthawks (45-15) and fifth-seeded Railsplitters (38-18) begin the Super Regional at 1 p.m. May 19 at Haines and Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park. Game two of the best-of-three series is at 1 p.m. May 20, and if necessary, game three will be at 3:30 p.m. May 20. Tickets are available on the UNG Athletics website.
“We are excited to play this week at ‘The Hill’ in front of our home fans,” UNG head coach Mike Davenport said. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for the LMU softball program and know we will have to play our very best to advance.”
The series winner will advance to the NCAA Division II softball championship set for May 26-31 at the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver, Colorado.
This marks the 11th time in the past 13 NCAA tournaments the Nighthawks have advanced to at least a Super Regional, including a national title in 2015 and a total of six NCAA championship appearances in that time.
A 4-1 victory against Wingate University on May 14 punched UNG’s ticket to the Super Regional, following up a 10-4 win versus Carson-Newman University in the May 12 regional opener and a 10-0 five-inning triumph against host and second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne University on May 13.
“I am extremely proud of the growth of this team since the beginning of the fall 2021 semester. They have grown into their own identity and have established their own success as one of the best teams to wear the North Georgia uniform,” Davenport said. “They went up to Hickory with something to prove, not only to others but to themselves, that they belonged and that they were one of the best teams in the Southeast region.”
Kristen Davis allowed only one hit and two total baserunners in the complete-game victory against Wingate, becoming one of three Nighthawk pitchers to earn a win during the weekend. Delaney Heaberlin earned the shutout of Lenoir-Rhyne, and Jordan Warzynski secured the win in relief versus Carson-Newman.
Hannah Forehand smacked a pair of home runs with Olivia Sinquefield and Madison Simmons each adding a homer for the weekend. UNG outscored its opponents by a total of 24-5 in Hickory and tallied a total of 29 hits in its three games.
Lincoln Memorial advanced to the Super Regional with a 3-0 mark in its half of the Southeast Regional, including a pair of victories against top-seeded Anderson University.